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Brave Hearts Win 


Page 15 





Rev. EDWIN McMINN 




PHILADELPHIA; 

American ||apti5t |§ublication 

V 1420 Chestnut Street. 


mm 





BRAVE HEARTS WIN. 


" 

Ret. EDWIN McMINN. 

ii 1 ' 

AUTHOR OF “ THE BREAKER BOY.” 




PHILADELPHIA : 

AMERICAN BAPTIST PUBLICATION SOCIETY, 
1420 CHESTNUT STREET. 




Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1883, by the 
AMERICAN BAPTIST PUBLICATION SOCIETY, 

In the Office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington. 




CONTENTS. 

PAOE. 

CHAPTER I. 

Violet’s Birthday 7 

CHAPTER II. 

The Bootblack’s Home 16 

CHAPTER III. 

Mary Mullens 26 

CHAPTER IV. 

The Diamond Cross 34 

CHAPTER V. 

The Stolen Child 46 


4 


CONTENTS . 


PAGE. 

CHAPTER VI. 

The Safe Retreat 59 

CHAPTER VII. 

First Lessons in Science 72 

CHAPTER VIII. 

Hidden Treasure 84 

CHAPTER IX. 

The Chute Disaster 98 

CHAPTER X. 

Crystal Changes 113 

CHAPTER XI. 

Beneath the Waters 124 

CHAPTER XII. 

Brighter Prospects 135 

CHAPTER XIII. 

Waves of Trouble 145 


CONTENTS. 5 

PAGE 

CHAPTER XI V. 

Violet’s Experiment and Success 152 

CHAPTER XV. 

Missionary Work 157 

CHAPTER XVI. 

The Bible Reader 167 

CHAPTER XVII. 

The Commercial Traveller 17$ 

CHAPTER XVIII. 

Violet and Mary 179 

CHAPTER XIX. 

Life at Fern Hill 187 

CHAPTER XX. 

Gathering up the Threads 194 

CHAPTER XXI. 

The Lost Found 206 


CONTENTS . 


PAGE. 

CHAPTER XXII. 

The Diamonds Restored 219 

CHAPTER XXIII. 

The Heir Received 228 

CHAPTER XXIY. 

Partnership 239 

CHAPTER XXY. 


Established 


249 


Brave Hearts Win. 


CHAPTER I. 


VIOLET' S BIRTHDAY. 



HHE old Montgomery mansion on Broad Street 


X seldom presented a more attractive appearance 
than it did on this fair May-day morning ; for the 
trees and the bushes were clothed in their most 
beautiful foliage, and the sparkling rays of sunlight 
lit up the old house until it possessed the charm of 
cozy and quiet comfort. In harmony with this, the 
hearts of the inmates were more buoyant than they 
had been since that day of sadness when Mrs. 
Montgomery was taken to be laid beneath the silent 
shadow of Laurel Hill. 

This May-day with all its brightness was Violet’s 
tenth birthday. For the coming of this day she 
had been yearning with childish glee for many 
preceding weeks, and her interest was so thoroughly 
awakened that the preceding evening she could 
hardly obey the rule her careful father had estab- 


7 


8 


BRAVE HEARTS WIN . 


lished, that she was to retire invariably at nine 
o’clock. But she did obey, sleepless and active 
though her youthful brain persisted in being long 
after the usual time. She said to her Aunt Phoebe, 
her mother’s sister, who had so zealously cared for 
her since her mother’s death, just as auntie was 
giving her a good night kiss : 

“ Dear auntie, just think, to-morrow I shall be 
ten years old. What a pleasure that will be, just 
one year since I was nine ; how thankful to God I 
am that he has kept me from all harm these ten 
years of my life, and when he took my dear mamma 
to heaven, he gave me you to teach me of his love 
and of his beautiful home where mamma is.” Then 
throwing her arms about her aunt’s neck, she con- 
tinued, “ Oh, auntie, how I do love you, you are so 
kind and good.” 

“ Darling Violet,” replied her aunt, as she 
returned the caress of the sweet child, “you are 
very precious to me, and I love you just as dearly 
as I would if you were my own child, but now I 
must go, and leave you to sweet dreams, for 
to-morrow you will need all your strength to enjoy 
your birthday festivities. Your papa will try to 
make this a very happy occasion for you, and he 
hopes to see his little daughter well and strong, so 
that she may be able to bear a great deal of play.” 


BRAVE HEARTS WIN. 


9 


The Montgomery Mansion in its time, had been 
one of the handsomest in the city, but as merchants 
increased in wealth, and architectural designs 
changed, many superior buildings were erected on 
all sides of it, but the new designs failed to give 
the homelike appearance; and hence for real 
comfort the home of the Montgomeries became 
quite conspicuous. It was something of a relic of 
former times. 

Earnest Christian faith had characterized the 
founders of the family, and from father to son 
honor for the faith was handed down by precept 
and by example, and the parental training was 
according to the wise man who said, “ Train up a 
child in the way he should go ; and when he is old, 
he will not depart from it.” The influence of the 
family altar was felt, and when the children became 
old enough to choose the right path, they walked in 
the way of the Lord, and coming before the church, 
professed their faith in Christ, in the beautiful 
resurrection from the baptismal grave. 

When Jennie Montgomery, the mistress of the 
mansion, and wife of James Montgomery, the 
merchant, was called from earth to her rest with 
the Lord, she comforted her husband with the 
sweetness of her peace, and the earnest hope that 
they should meet again in the home where there 


10 


BRAVE HEARTS WIN. 


would be no more tears, or suffering, or parting. 
To her sister’s care she committed her only child, 
her little five-years old Violet, the joy of the house, 
and the fond hope of the parents. Jennie knew 
that her sister would be faithful to the charge, and 
thus with a mind at perfect peace, she folded her 
hands, closed her eyes, and calmly ceased to 
breathe. 

The grief of the husband was intense, but time 
that tempers all things tempered his grief. True, 
during these five years he never once thought of 
asking another to take Jennie’s place in his heart 
and home, for his love gradually encircled his 
daughter, until at times he wondered if he was not 
making her an idol to his heart. 

When Violet awoke in the morning of the long- 
looked for day, the birds in the tree-tops were 
singing their morning songs, the sun was shining 
brightly in at the window, and Aunt Phoebe was 
standing by the bed in loving tenderness gazing 
upon the child’s sweet face. As the blue eyes 
opened, and a smile broke over the child’s face, 
auntie kissed her, and said : 

“My darling, my sweet darling, may you be 
very happy to-day. Bee the bright shining of the 
sun, what a pleasant beginning of another year of 
your life, may sunshine crown it all through its 


BRAVE HEARTS WIN. 


11 


course. Now jump up quickly, and we shall soon 
be ready to go down to papa. He is very anxious 
to see his little daughter, who so suddenly has 
grown so old.” 

When Violet was dressed, she knelt by her 
bedside, and offered her prayer to God, for his 
blessing upon her, to make her better than she had 
ever yet been, and to shield* her from the tempta- 
tions of life. Then she accompanied her aunt 
down to the sitting-room where her father was 
awaiting her coming. 

As she came into the room, looking so fresh and 
rosy, he took her in his arms and kissed her brow, 
her cheeks, her lips, and blessed God for his lovely 
darling ; then he kissed her ten times, once for each 
year, and added another to start the new year, his 
heart glowing with love for his child. 

After breakfast Mr. Mongomery went to his 
store, and Violet to her studies, for Mr. Montgomery 
did not wish a single day to pass without something 
being added to his daughter’s culture, and the 
holiday was only for the afternoon and evening. 
In the afternoon her little friends were to visit her, 
and help her to celebrate the day. They formed a 
merry party, there were just ten of them, and from 
three o’clock until the bell rang for supper they 
romped and played as if all the play of their 


12 BRAVE HEARTS WIN. 

lives must be concentrated within that space of 
time. 

Mr. Montgomery came home quite early from 
the store, as he wished to give as much of the day 
to his daughter as he possibly could. Aunt Phoebe 
managed to keep all the children in the front yard 
until his arrival, when they were led into the large 
dining-room to partake of the refreshments pro- 
vided. Aunt Phoebe knew just w r hat was good for 
little people, and just what they would like, hence 
they greatly enjoyed the good things spread before 
them and all were completely satisfied. 

After they left the table, they were taken into 
the parlor where a surprise awaited them. Mr. 
Montgomery gave each of them a nice present in 
honor of the day, and somehow, in this, he seemed 
to know just what each one specially desired, as the 
gifts were of articles such as they had often 
wanted. After all the visitors have received their 
presents, Mr. Montgomery said : 

“ Violet, my darling, now I will give you your 
present. Come here, my dear.” 

As she came to his side, he first placed his arm 
about her, and kissed her, then opening a morocco 
box, lifted out of it a beautiful golden chain, with 
a handsome cross made of diamonds, set in a 
delicate network of gold. As he threw the chain 


BRAVE HEARTS WIN. 


13 


around her neck, Mr. Montgomery again kissed his 
daughter, and said : 

“ Violet my darling, this is a very beautiful gift. 
It was my mother’s, given to her as a wedding gift 
by a very wealthy European gentleman, whose life 
had been saved by her father. He manifested his 
gratitude by this charming gift. I had thought 
of reserving it until you became of age, but I 
think it is safe to trust you with it now. Be very 
careful of it, only wear it when papa or auntie 
grants you permission. You may wear it to-day 
until you retire. Then auntie will take care of it 
for you. Now you may all go to the veranda and 
enjoy yourselves as you may desire.” They shouted 
in great glee, scampered out on the broad veranda, 
and began their plays again as full of life as if 
they had not been playing at all. 

Violet felt quite seriously the degree of con- 
fidence her father was placing in her, and she 
resolved that with God’s help she would be a 
faithful and true-hearted daughter, so that he 
would never regret loving and trusting her so 
completely. 

As she stood there a little apart from the other 
children, thinking of the blessings she had received, 
a pair of eyes beyond the fence were gazing into 
her face. It was only a boot black, a poor, ragged, 


14 


BRAVE HEARTS WIN. 


half-starved, dirty-faced bootblack, but he thought 
he saw an angel. Violet was tall for her age, and 
of slender build, with deep blue eyes, just now 
gazing heavenward, her soft brown hair, partially 
crimped, was loosely flowing over her shoulders, 
her soft dimpled hands were clasped in front of 
her, and the diamond cross on her bosom flashed 
forth its varied shades of color. She was dressed 
in white, with a blue sash about her waist, her arms 
were partly bare, and as she thus stood, unconscious 
of any observer, the boy enraptured continued to 
gaze, murmuring to himself — it is a beautiful angel, 
one of God’s holy angels. 

At length the rattle of a passing carriage broke 
Violet’s reverie, and she saw the eyes so eagerly 
gazing into her own. For a moment she was 
startled, then she noticed the eager yearning in the 
expression of those strange eyes, and saw that it was 
one of the poor bootblacks who, like waifs cast upon 
the billows of the city’s turmoil, in want and 
weariness struggle for an existence. Going up to 
the fence, she said : 

“Little boy, are you hungry? Wait, and I will 
get you something.” She then went into the house, 
and got some nice fruit for him. As she passed the 
table in the parlor she noticed her little Bible, and 
said to herself, “ I will give him that, it mav lead 


BRAVE HEARTS WIH. 


15 


him to Jesus.” She soon returned to him and 
handing him the fruit and the Bible, said : 

“ I hope you will learn to love Jesus, little boy, 
and be good, real good, like my papa.” 

The boy did not answer, he took the gifts and 
stared at her in deep amazement. Then as she 
disappeared from sight, going to her guests, he 
slowly walked away, murmuring to himself: 

“ She is an angel. I’ve seen an angel.” 


CHAPTER II. 

THE BOOTBLACK’S HOME. 


ICKY MULLENS had that day wandered far 



| J away from the haunts where he usually plied 
his trade. He had heard of this part of the city 
with its elegant mansions, its trees and its gardens, 
but his eyes had never been blest with the sight 
of such attractions. To-day he had felt utterly 
disheartened; everything about him seemed dark 
and threatening; his -heart yearned for love, for 
sympathy, for kind words, but he found none of 
these in his home. As he passed along the streets, he 
saw the stores full of beautiful things, but felt that 
none of these things were for him. He saw carriages 
with elegantly dressed people ; he saw boys, too, of 
his own age and size, with loving mothers, with 
kind fathers, with good clothes, with merry hearts, 
while he alone felt sad and miserable. The swirl 
of the great city was about him, though crowds 
passed him, he was lonely, very lonely. 

All he could ask of the people was to let him 
get down on his knees before them, blacken their 
boots, then pick up the half dime they would throw 


16 


BRAVE HEARTS WIN. 


17 


him. And all that the people seemed to expect of 
him was that he should be at hand when wanted, 
polish their boots nicely, and then get out of their 
way. As to a woman’s touch, tender and loving, and 
sympathetic, it was not for him, he was no favored 
one. True, he belonged to a large brigade, and 
thus had many companions, but as the most of 
them were coarse in nature, and rough in action — • 
delighting in fighting, swearing, and stealing — and 
habitually imposed upon the weaker ones, he 
often wished to be far away from such uncongenial 
mates, though he had never known any better. 
This day he had come to Ridge Avenue, and sadly 
walked along, not knowing and not caring where he 
was going; in his heart he was cherishing a deep 
unrest. When he came to Broad Street he knew it 
from descriptions he had heard of it, and he walked 
toward the north. As he passed pleasant looking 
homes his feelings became lighter, and with increas- 
ing pleasure, he gazed at the many elegant places, 
until he came to the beautiful shaded lawn on which 
the merry children were playing, and his heart beat 
rapidly with an eager desire to be with them in 
their joyful plays and games, but no, he said to 
himself, “ I am only a bootblack, it is not for me.” 

As he wearily leaned against the fence, he saw 
Violet standing alone, so fair, so beautiful, so un- 
B 


18 


BRAVE HEARTS WIN. 


usual in her attitude, that he feasted upon the beauty 
of her face until every feature was burned into his 
memory, until it glowed there as if carved in letters 
of fire. Her feet, ankles, dress, sash, hands, face, 
cross and chain, all were received into his mind as 
the most beautiful of all things he had ever known. 
When she spoke to him; he was filled with awe, he 
heard, he received the gifts; his heart leaped to his 
throat, he yearned to speak, but could not; and 
then when she disappeared, he started toward his 
home, with tears flowing down his cheeks, and 
great sobs bursting from his heavy heart. He 
walked along at first very slowly; then, noticing 
that they were lighting the lamps, he began to 
hurry, for his home was a great way down town, 
and it would be quite dark before he could get 
there. But why did he call it home ? Now 7 he had 
seen homes, and he felt that w T here he dw r elt was not 
home, it was only a den for human monsters in 
iniquity. 

As he w r alked along he ate the fruit, all but a 
small portion of each kind, which he placed in his 
pockets ; then he took the Bible in both hands, and 
on the first leaf read the name of the beautiful 
donor, then kissing the book, he placed it within 
his clothing, near to his heart, as more valuable to 
him than anything he had ever had, or hoped to 


BRAVE HEARTS WIN. 


19 


have. With it, he felt rich, he would not exchange 
it for one of the stores on Chestnut Street. No 
money could buy it ; and he felt a thrill of happi- 
ness that drove away the clouds of the day. A 
beautiful one had touched his hand, and had spoken 
kindly to him, he was content. Down the Ridge 
he passed, down Ninth Street to Bainbridge, then 
he passed into a small alley, and entered an old 
three-story brick house, and was at home. 

As he passed into the house, a tall, coarse-featured 
woman, with uncombed hair, and lowering look, 
came toward him, and with a hard voice said : 

“You lazy villain, what makes you late to-night? 
How much money have you brought with you? 
You are the laziest scamp that walked the streets; 
and I’ve a mind not to give you anything to eat. 
You havn’t a dollar, eh? then take that for being 
late,” and she struck him a blow that sent him 
staggering across the room, while two others in the 
room loudly laughed, and mockingly said, “ the boy 
seems delicate.” “ I’ll delicate him,” she answered, 
giving him a kick as he passed into the next room. 
“ Now don’t let me see you again to-night,” she said, 
“for I’ve no use for the likes of you.” 

The boy was glad to be so easily released. If no 
visitors had been there, it would have been much 
worse for him. 


20 


BRAVE HEARTS WIN. 


As he went into the room, almost entirely dark, 
only a dim unsnuffed candle burning, he softly, 
timidly said : 

“Mary.” 

In one corner of the room there was a slight 
movement, and a voice harsh and loveless, in a 
coarse whisper answered, 

“What?” 

“ See here, Mary,” he said, “ what I’ve brought 
you ; but don’t tell muz, ’cause I don’t want her to 
know. See, here is some nice fruit, eat ’em up 
quick.” 

As the girl took them and began to eagerly 
devour them she said : 

“ Oh, Dicky, where’d ye get ’em, they’s dreadful 
good. Ye didn’t steal ’em, did ye? or spend your 
money, did ye? Why muz would take yer hide 
off, if she thought ye’d spend a cent.” 

“ No, Mary, yer knows I never steal, nor spend 
the money, but I felt awful blue to-day; and, 
Mary, I walked way up Broad Street where the big 
uns lived, and I seed a lot of pretty children just 
about my size, they were a playin’ in a yard ; and 
Mary it was the prettiest place I ever seed, and one 
of them — a real angel she looked like — she saw me 
and gave ’em to me, Mary. Oh, she was so pretty. 
I never seed her like afore. And just think, Mary, 


BRAVE HEARTS WIN. 


21 


she spoke to me. And it made me feel as if I was 
in heaven as the missionary talks about, an’ she 
wus one of the good angels, and — ” 

“ What’s that yer blabbing about there, you 
good-for-nothin’ thing?” broke in the voice of the 
mother, as she came in the door and saw them 
whispering. “Mol, git up to yer work or I’ll 
bounce yer ; git, I say.” 

The next moment the girl felt the awful hard 
grasp of her mother’s bony hands on her shoulder, 
and she was jerked out into the middle of the room 
and ordered to her work. 

As the mother swore at her, she replied in the 
same language until the controversy was stopped by 
a customer calling for her in the front room. 

Mary was said to be the sister of Dicky ; and 
both to be the children of Ned Mullen, but no one 
would suspect the relationship judging from their 
looks; she was a coarse looking girl, utterly devoid 
of delicacy of expression or refinement of manner. 
In a certain way, she was considered a smart girl, 
and was rather popular in the neighborhood. 
Dicky was fine featured, with an intellectual brow, 
and expressive eyes, and in language as well as in 
manner showed a decided difference from those 
about him. He was twelve years of age, and Mary 
fourteen. Mrs. Mullen was a widow, and for sev- 


22 


BRAVE HEARTS WIN. 


eral years had taken care of herself and children 
by keeping a Function Shop, a resort for the profes- 
sional beggars who gathered cold victuals in the 
city, which she hashed up and sold for a small pit- 
tance to the miserable people about her. Mary 
was sent out on the streets as soon as she was old 
enough, to sell matches, beg what she could, and 
steal where she had an opportunity ; and under her 
supervision Dicky was sent out on the same errand. 
Naturally a smart boy, he became quite an expert 
thief, and his winsome face led many people to 
bestow favors upon him ; he looked honest enough, 
and having never known honesty, did not realize 
the sin he was committing. When old enough he 
adopted the trade of bootblack, and thus the chil- 
dren aided considerably in increasing the family 
fund. 

On one occasion, while near his home, he 
happened to meet the city missionary, who took a 
great fancy to him, followed up the acquaintance, 
and sought to lead him to a knowledge of the 
gospel of Christ. Dicky listened very attentively 
to what he was taught and thought that he would 
like to be a Christian; he positively refused to 
swear, steal, lie, or drink intoxicating drinks any 
more, and by this course acquired the extreme 
hatred of the widow, who sought every opportunity 


BRAVE HEARTS WIN. 


23 


for striking him, and in her passion would threaten 
him w T ith the severe punishments, for his continual 
rebellion. No doubt, she would have executed her 
threats, had she not feared the law, for the officers 
would have heard of it, and she would have been 
sent to jail, and that she especially dreaded. 
Besides, some of the beggars in her employ liked 
the boy, and if they should take a notion to tell 
what they knew about her and her doings, it would 
make fearful trouble, for she had often received 
stolen goods from them, and served as a medium 
between them and the pawnbrokers ; and in many 
cases of well advertised losses she had thrown the 
officers off the track effectually by concealing the 
goods. Hence, if ever she should become known 
by them her fate would be certainly sealed. 

She knew that Dicky hated his surroundings, and 
whenever the men or the large boys of the street 
abused him, she jeered him, and gave him no 
protection, provided they did not attempt to steal 
from him his earnings. So from the woman he 
called mother he received no kindness, no love, no 
sympathy. 

Once, when he was sick, he asked her to kiss him, 
but her only answer was a loud, coarse laugh; then 
she went into the front room to tell the amusing 
request to some of the neighbors, who had come in 


24 


BRAVE HEARTS WIN. 


to gossip over their mugs of beer. Of course, 
Dicky never asked it again. 

Mary, however, was kind to him. In their way 
they thought a great deal of each other ; and poor 
Dicky yearned for kindness from Mary, because his 
heart was so utterly lonely. Her coarseness was 
very repulsive to him, but she was the only friend 
he had, beside the missionary. 

Mary had one great fault, she was excessively 
fond of strong drink ; she craved it with passionate 
eagerness. Though only fourteen years old, she 
would not infrequently stagger along the street 
entirely under its influence, and fall down some- 
times in the street, more often at home, in a state 
of intoxication. She was not peculiar in this, her 
companions in the court were just the same, her 
associations were all of the vilest sort, and w r hen 
aroused, she would frighten Dicky by the awful 
language that poured from her lips. Yet she was 
always kind to him, and often protected him from 
their mother ; she could fight, too, with her teeth 
and finger nails, and when angry acted like the 
whelp of a tiger. 

Seeing her face, a person would hardly suppose 
she was only fourteen years old. Vice was rapidly 
tearing away every feature of childhood. Innocence 
had long since fled. Sometimes in her better mo- 


BRAVE HEARTS WIN. 


25 


ments she hoped good things for Dicky, but for 
herself she had apparently ceased to care. When 
he came home and told her of the beautiful one 
he had seen, and she noticed the ardent sparkling 
admiration that lingered in his eyes, she was pained 
for a moment, and yearned that he might think of 
her with that kind of a rapture, but it soon passed, 
and she remembered it only as a source of joy to 
him. 

Yet, this girl, so coarse, repulsive, was the only 
object in that home, that sought or found the love 
of Dicky, and with all her sin, he called her sister 
and loved her. 


CHAPTER III. 


MARY MULLENS. 

W HEN the exhortation of the missionary be- 
gan to effect so great a change in Dicky, ' 
Mary felt that the close sympathy that bound them 
together was partially severed. Dicky was so sharp 
in stealing, and he could “ come it ” so nicely over 
the kind-hearted old gentlemen, that Mary felt, 
when he turned from stealing, as if the brightest 
prospects of his life were blasted, though she still 
honored him, and credited him with possessing a 
nobility of character that neither she nor any of 
the people of her acquaintance possessed. Dicky 
was more like the people in the great stores, those 
who dressed in fine clothes, and lived without 
fighting. Mary often wondered why this was so, — 
she so full of combativeness, he so tender and 
gentle ; she more like a man, he more like a woman, 
— but when the men in the saloon would mock at 
Dicky, she would in the instant let loose the tiger 
nature that filled her, and in most emphatic 
language defend her gentleman brother, as she 

called him, from their foul and filthy aspersions. 

26 


BRAVE HEARTS WIN. 


27 


Mrs. Mullens was not the only one who kept a 
Function Shop in that street, for a few doors below 
her place, Mrs. Manton presided over a similar 
establishment; hence perpetual war was declared 
between the parties. Competition is the life of 
trade, and this rivalry stirred the spirits of Mrs. 
Mullens until the effect was felt all along the line 
of her resources. Over the counters a great deal 
of boasting was done, which the squalid crowds 
hugely enjoyed, but in the meantime the feeling of 
settled hostility increased in their hearts. 

It was customary for the aristocratic inhabitants 
of the vicinity to give parties to their clique, and 
both of these ladies were aristocratic, and social 
rank was just as distinctly marked in their Alley as 
on Broad Street. As these ladies were in the same 
class, the attendants of the parties of the one were 
naturally invited to the parties of the other, and to 
the extreme delight of these guests, the two w r omen 
began the task of overreaching each other. This 
time it was Mrs. Manton’s turn, and she determined 
to have a great dance, with very select music and 
refreshments. She would have been pleased to cut 
Mrs. Mullens by refusing Mary an invitation ; but 
this would not do, as many of the young men she 
wanted were rather fond of Mary, and had already 
engaged her for different sets in the dancing. 


28 


BRAVE HEARTS WIN. 


Thwarted in this, she busied herself seeking a way 
out of the difficulty, and at length conceived a plan 
by which she could fully accomplish all she had in 
mind. 

Mrs. Manton well knew Mary’s inordinate thirst 
for strong drink. What then would be easier than 
to give her as much as she might desire? Yes, the 
fourteen-years old girl should be filled with‘ it, and 
then where would the girl with her flaunting airs 
and impudent tongue be ? 

Dicky was not invited, the boy was not old 
enough for such parties, but Mary told him all 
about it, and of the splendid times she expected to 
have. When she spoke of the liquors that would 
grace the table, Dicky begged her not to touch 
them. He said : 

“ Mary, you would be a real nice, lovely girl if 
you didn’t drink liquor ; and some day we might be 
able to get out of this place and live nicely like 
other people.” 

But she only laughed at him as she said : 

“ Drinking is the best part of it ; it is better 
than the dancing.” And in this spirit she went to 
the party. It was a motley assembly, white and 
colored people together, some gaudily dressed, and 
the variety was so great as to be a display of nearly 
all styles. Some were there who lived in up town 


BRAVE HEARTS WIN. 


29 


houses as servants, and one of these, a tall, well 
proportioned colored girl, had borrowed for the 
occasion a silk dress belonging to her mistress, of 
course without the owner’s knowledge or consent. 

The music w T as of a stirring nature, and the three 
violinists on the platform at one end of the room 
made quite lively music for the active dancers. 
Mary was in her element, she felt the full force of 
the exhilarating influences about her, and because 
of her wildness became the favorite choice of sev- 
eral of the young men. 

Between the sets, she w 7 as taken to the bar and 
treated to whatever drinks she desired. 

At the end of the carousal Mary started for her 
home, her steps were as unsteady as were those of 
the drunken fellow who attempted to escort her, 
she could hardly see her w 7 ay, and when she 
reached her home, without undressing she threw 
herself upon her ricketty bed, and at once passed 
into the deep stupor of the drunkard. Until late 
in the following day she lay there breathing heavily, 
and w T hen her mother w r akened her, she complained 
of feeling “all gone like” in the head, and so 
terribly sick at the stomach. But Mrs. Mullens 
had often seen her in this condition, so she paid but 
little attention to her, and went on with her business 
of handing out hash to her miserable customers. 


30 BRAVE HEARTS WIN. 

During a part of the day Mary was partially 
easy, she seemed to be in a semi-stupor and at 
times even asleep. Mrs. Mullens remained in the 
shop, but left the door between the rooms open. 
A visitor coming in, they held a long conversation 
in loud whispers. They thought Mary was asleep, 
but she heard every word they uttered, and to her 
what they said was indeed startling. But she 
remained as quiet as she could, only moaning now 
and then with the pain that seized her. As evening 
came on she became worse, and when Dicky came 
home, he found her in such suffering as he had 
never before seen manifested. 

Mrs. Mullens did not seem to care, and waiting 
on her customers left the two children alone. As 
she went out of the room, Mary said : 

“Dicky come close to me. Now put your arm 
around me. Dicky, I am going to die, this terrible 
pain is killing me. I have something to tell you ; 
and if I don’t tell you now, you will never know 
it. Dicky, you ain’t my brother at all; you’re a 
stolen boy; stolen when you was a little baby, 
from some of the rich folks up town ; stolen so that 
money might be got for you. I heard muz telling 
it to Mrs. Reilly. And, Dicky, no one knows who, 
or where your folks are, but you belong to some 
great family. Now, Dicky, don’t let on you know 


BRAVE HEARTS WIN. 


31 


it, and don’t leave me; but after I am dead, you 
run off, or muz will kill you sure ; ’cause I heard 
her say that some day she would make way with 
you. — Oh, my head, how it aches! Water, water! 
Oh, Dicky,” and the girl exhausted by the effort to 
tell Dicky the whole story, seemed ready to sink 
away. Thus she passed the night. 

The next morning she was no better, and Mrs. 
Mullens allowed Dicky to stay at home to take care 
of her, for the girl madly insisted that he should 
not leave her. As afternoon came on, a change 
seemed to pass over her features, her face appeared 
to be pinched, and a cold perspiration indicated the 
result that must come soon. 

When Mrs. Mullens saw this, she too, became 
alarmed, and sent to the medical mission for a 
physician. The doctor, a man who knew well the 
awful degradation of this section of the city, came 
to the poor sick girl. At once his keen eye saw 
that nothing could be done, that death had already 
sealed her as his own. If he had been called in at 
first, he might have saved her, but now all he could 
do was to make her last hours easy. He left a 
sedative, and requested that she be taken up stairs, 
and be kept quiet, and away from the people. Mrs. 
Mullens heard his orders, but not liking them, after 
his departure, threw the medicine out of the window, 


32 


BRAVE HEARTS WIN. 


and refused to move the girl, because as she said 
she had her customers to wait on, and to be going 
up and down stairs was too much trouble. Dicky 
sat by her side, holding her hand in his own, his 
heart touched by the inhumanity of all about him ; 
almost hating them because of the sin they had 
committed against himself, yet grieving for the poor 
girl who was suffering, and sinking so rapidly. His 
mind went hastily over the past, and he wondered 
if he would have been like the children he saw 
playing in the yard on Broad Street, if he had not 
been stolen. 

But his reverie was interrupted by a scream from 
Mary, who seemed to be suffering greatly. Then 
he thought of the missionary who had told him 
about Jesus, and heaven, and of the Bible he kept 
hidden close to his heart. And he whispered to the 
sufferer : 

“ Mary, shall I ask muz to send for the mission- 
ary to tell you about heaven and the angels ? ” 

But the poor girl was not able to understand, 
the strength of her mind had departed, and she 
knew earthly things no more. 

All through the night she lay unconscious of all 
about her. When the morning light came, and 
the sound of the church bells came over the house- 
tops, she seemed to rouse a little. It was Sunday, 


BRAVE HEARTS WIN. 


but in this neighborhood it was in no way different 
from other days. 

Dicky knew that the bells were calling the people 
to the sanctuary to worship God. How he wished 
for the presence of God, and wondered if he would 
ever come into such a sin-stricken place. Before 
the bells rang the second time, Mary shuddered, 
and as Dicky watched her, the breast ceased to 
heave, and Mary was dead. 

Mrs. Mullens hearing his loud cries came into 
the room, and as she saw the face of the dead girl, 
her own heart was touched, and she manifested her 
grief in frantic shrieks and wild tossings of the 
arms. The neighbors hearing the noise came in, 
and for a \yhile made the place hideous by their 
noisy lamentations. 

In due time the coroner came, and called his 
jury, who heard the evidence and declared the ver- 
dict: “Mary Mullens, aged fourteen, died from 
mania a potu.” No blame attached to anyone. 
Mrs. Mullens was not censured for lack of care, 
Mrs. Manton was not said to be blameworthy for 
giving her the liquor : it was a legitimate result of 
a legal traffic, an ordinary incident in life. It 
passed over, and soon was forgotten. 


C 


CHAPTER IV. 


THE DIAMOND CROSS. 


IOLET MONTGOMERY thanked God for 



V giving her the very best papa in the world ; 
and when she thought of that papa’s devotion to 
her, she felt that the very best she could do for 
him would not be sufficient return for one day’s 
kindness. 

“ Papa has never punished me, nor spoken a cross 
word to me, but is always so kind and loving,” she 
said to auntie, the day after the party. 

“The reason of that,” said auntie, “is because 
his little Violet always obeys him, and seeks to do 
just what is right, and when papa or auntie speaks, 
she does not murmur, or pout, or tease for some- 
thing else, but she accepts their judgment, and does 
as they command.” 

That night before retiring, as Aunt Phoebe went 
into Violet’s room to see that all was right, she 
stood a moment gazing into the face of the sleeping 
child, so beautiful in her gentle slumbers. And 
Aunt Phoebe brushed a tear from her eye as she 


BRAVE HEARTS WIJV. 


35 


thought what a treasure, a beautiful, valuable 
treasure is this little darling, so sweet and good. 

A few days after this, Violet had the pleasure of 
entertaining one of her young friends at tea, and 
after tea was over, just before the twilight came 
down upon the city, with her aunt’s permission she 
v r alked home with her companion, as it was only a 
short distance up Broad Street, to show the girl’s 
mother her beautiful birthday present. 

As they passed along the street, an old beggar- 
woman came up to them and asked a penny from 
them for mercy’s sake. Taught to be kind and 
generous, Violet took out her little purse and gave 
the woman a small coin, and then the children 
passed on. While Violet was getting out her 
purse, the woman caught sight of the flashing 
diamond cross which she was wearing, and at once 
recognized the great value of it. As she saw it her 
eyes glittered with a strange and intense light; her 
hands trembled with anxious desire to grasp it ; and 
she compressed her lips wdth the determination to 
possess it. 

Near by where they were, bordering on the street 
was a board-yard, and by the side of the yard, an 
alley ; into this alley the old woman w r ent to watch 
the child, and soon saw that she was returning 
alone. 


36 


BRAVE HEARTS WIN. 


When Violet reached the end of the alley, all 
unconscious of the danger near, with her mind full 
of sweet thoughts, she heard a low call of distress. 
Looking into the alley, she saw the old beggar 
woman, seated on the ground, and seeming to be in 
severe pain ; she called to the child to come to her 
and help her up. Without a thought of danger 
the child went to her, and when she came w T ithin 
her reach, the old woman suddenly grasped her 
wrist with one hand, and in a low savage tone, 
threatened her if she made the least noise; then, 
rapidly unclasping the chain, she took the cross and 
chain, darted into the lumber-yard and disappeared. 

Violet was stunned by the terribly ferocity of the 
woman’s manner toward her; her head began to 
swim, and her limbs to tremble ; for a few moments 
she stood pale and quivering, then fled down the 
street to her home, and rushing into the house, met 
her aunt in the hall, and with a scream fell fainting 
at her feet. 

Utterly appalled by this unexpected event, her 
aunt was for a moment stunned, then, recovering 
her presence of mind, she picked her up and placed 
her on the sofa, called for water and smelling salts, 
and at once despatched the servant for a physician. 

Mr. Montgomery having been delayed beyond 
his usual time down town, now came in, and seeing 


BRAVE HEARTS WIH. 


37 


his daughter lying there pale and insensible, was 
seized with overwhelming anxiety. But Violet 
moaned, then opened her eyes, and seeing her father 
bending over her, threw her arms about his neck 
and begged him not to leave her, no not for a single 
second. He took her in his arms, and tried to 
comfort her, but she cried, and moaned, and 
quivered with uncontrollable emotion, until her 
physical powers were completely exhausted. For- 
tunately the physician was at home, and he came at 
once, and having examined her, said : 

“ She has been frightened ; after a good sleep she 
will be all right again. But how did it occur? I 
thought, Montgomery, you were so extremely 
careful of your child.” 

Aunt Phoebe now told them of her going home 
with her little friend, and then returning in terror. 
While speaking, she noticed for the first time, the 
absence of the chain and cross, and said : 

“When Violet left here she was wearing her 
chain and cross, she hasn’t it now. What can 
have happened ? ” 

At this Violet burst into fresh grief, and sobbed 
as if her heart was breaking, but her father gently 
soothed her, and becoming calmer, she told them 
of the scene through which she had just passed. 

He was truly sorry for the loss of the valuable 


38 


BRAVE HEARTS WIN. 


cross, but glad that his daughter had not been 
carried off or injured. Leaving her now in her 
aunt’s care, Mr. Montgomery and the physician 
started to inform the police, that they might be on 
the watch for the recovery of the stolen articles, as 
also the arrest of the thief. By this time, however, 
the old beggar woman was safe in her haunts, and 
as she changed her garb, and went into another 
part of the city to beg, she could not be identified 
by the vigilant police, for she was only one among 
a thousand of like trade. 

One evening, several weeks after this, Dicky 
came home earlier than usual from his day’s work. 
Since Mary’s death Mrs. Mullens had been a little 
kinder to him than formerly, and now as he lay 
down on a heap of old clothes in a corner of the 
back room, he appeared to be asleep, but in reality 
was awake, and thinking how he might safely get 
away from these surroundings, when Mrs. Mullens 
entered the dark room with one of the old begging 
women from whom she was accustomed to receive 
stolen articles. The old woman was very anxious 
to be sure that no one could hear them, as she had 
something extremely important to communicate. 
She looked at Dicky, but he seemed to be in a 
deep sleep, so going to the other side of the room, 
in a low voice, the woman told Mrs. Mullens of 


BRAVE HEARTS WIN. 


her adventure in which she had secured the hand- 
some ornament. She said : 

“ An’ sure Mrs. Mullens, it is the prettiest thing 
ye ever did see; and sure, an’ it must have cost 
hapes of money, an’ it was a pity to scare the child 
so, she was a swate lookin’ child, but thin ye knows 
I must have the diamonds, for sez I — Mrs. Mullens 
will be after givin’ a good price for them, do ye see, 
she is a woman of iligant taste sure, as no one 
knows better than does meself, so I didn’t mind the 
swate looks, but just took them, an’ here they iz 
sure.” 

With this she took them out of her bosom, and 
held them up in the light. Mrs. Mullens was 
captivated by their dazzling beauty; but, with 
business tact, she quickly thought that the police 
would make all haste to find such valuables again, 
therefore she quietly said : 

“Well, Mrs. O’Brien, they are surely iligant 
things ; but then ye knows there is a great risk in 
a keepin’ such things; and if the police should 
find me with them, they would send me to the 
penitentiary; but, however, I will give ye fifty 
dollars for them, and take all the risks.” 

Mrs. Mullens knew that they must be worth very 
much more, but she must not give too much for 
ventures. 


40 


BRAVE HEARTS WIN. 


Mrs. O’Brien grumbled at the small price but 
finally accepted it, and receiving her money- 
departed. Mrs. Mullens then went to the secret 
enclosure where she kept such things, and carefully 
hiding the cross away, once more took a look at the 
sleeping boy, and went out to the front room to 
attend to her business. 

Dicky had heard all that had been said, and he 
saw the place of the secret enclosure. It was as 
much as he could do to simulate sleep, for he had 
at once recognized the ornaments that his little 
angel had worn; and when he thought of that 
lovely, tender child in the coarse, rough grasp of 
Mrs. O’Brien, he could hardly restrain himself from 
expressing his indignation. Gladly he heard her 
tell of the child running home, as that proved she 
had not been injured. 

When Mrs. Mullens deposited the jewels in the 
secret enclosure, Dicky had noticed the place, and 
now left alone in the room he examined it care- 
fully, in order to be sure of the exact spot when 
he should want to find it again ; for he determined 
that before another day passed the jewels should be 
returned to their owner. All that evening he was 
left alone, for Mrs. Mullens had many callers in 
the shop, who required all of her attention. Dicky 
went to sleep early, and did not waken until after 


BRAVE HEARTS WIN. 


41 


midnight, when Mrs. Mullens locked the front door, 
and went to her bed. As soon as Dicky knew by 
her loud breathing that she was sound asleep, he 
quietly rose, put his Bible in his bosom, and open- 
ing the secret place, lifted out the jewels, put them 
also in his bosom. Then stealthily he went to the 
door, opened it, glided out into the street, and bade, 
as he hoped, farewell to the place forever. 

Out into the darkness and the silence of the night 
he passed ; the morning stars were shining ; the wee 
small hours were growing larger ; the revellers were 
at rest, and only the solitary policeman pacing 
wearily his beat, was to be seen. Past the old 
weather-stained houses Dicky walked, on up Seventh 
Street until he came to one of the great hotels, and 
then w r ith his box over his shoulder, waited for the 
dawning of the day. As he waited, and the early 
hours of the morning sped along, his weariness 
■was at times broken by demands for his services, 
and many dimes were earned before the usual break- 
fast hour arrived. 

After getting a warm meal at a cheap restaurant, 
he rapidly walked up to Broad Street, and on 
towards the home of the Montgomerys, in order to 
return the beautiful cross. When he arrived at 
the place where he had seen the fair maiden, his 
heart beat wildly with the hope that he might 


42 


SHAVE HEARTS WIN. 


again see her face, but no, the house was closed, the 
windows barred, the gates locked, and there "were no 
signs of life about the place. 

As he gazed, anxious, disappointed, up at the 
deserted place, he noticed a policeman approaching, 
w T ho seeing the sad look of the boy’s face, kindly 
asked: 

“ Well, Blackie, what’s the matter, lack of cus- 
tom, eh?” 

“No, sir,” replied Dicky. “I was iust wander- 
ing why that house is all closed up.” 

“ You were, eh ? ” replied the policeman. “ W ell, 
I’ll relieve you on that score. It’s because all the 
folks have left, gone away bag and baggage, serv- 
ants and all, gone off; don’t know where ; maybe 
to the sea-shore, maybe to the mountains, maybe to 
Europe, there’s no telling, but they are gone, that’s 
certain.” 

“When will they come back?” asked Dicky. 

“ Don’t know, Mr. Inquisitive,” replied the police- 
man. “Maybe this fall, maybe never, they may 
get killed on the cars, or drowned in the ocean, or 
blown up on a steamship, or get the yellow fever, 
or see some place they like better and sell out, and 
never come back. No telling of their movements, 
so you will have to do without their jobs and find 
some more reliable customers. 


BRAVE HEARTS WITT. 


43 


Poor Dicky was now in deep trouble. He fully 
realized the necessity of keeping the cross hidden, 
and he would not put it in the hands of any but 
the owner; but what to do with it in the mean- 
time, and with himself was the cause of great 
perplexity. He did not know where to go, or what 
to do. But he knew very well, that as soon as 
Mrs. Mullens should discover their loss, every 
beggar and tramp in her employ would be used as 
a spy to find him, and that no place in the city 
would be secret enough to hide him. She would 
not wonder merely at his absence, for he often went 
out before she was awake ; she would only be likely 
to suspect him when she came to look into her secret 
box and find the cross missing. Fortunately for 
Dicky, Mrs. Mullens did not find leisure to look at 
that receptacle during the day, and she only 
thought of him w r hen the evening hour came on 
and she noticed that he had not returned. 

As Dicky walked down Broad Street, he found 
considerable custom, so that the time passed rapidly. 
When he came to the Public Buildings, a broad- 
shouldered, smooth-faced man, with a hearty voice, 
called to him to shine his boots. This gentleman 
was talking to a friend, while Dicky was attending 
to his wants, telling him of the work he was 
engaged in. He was saying : 


44 


BRAVE HEARTS WIN. 


“Yes, it’s a good job I have on hand, and there 
is money in it. But dear me, the trouble of getting 
the right kind of men and boys to do the work. 
You see, the place is so far from town, out in the 
hilliest country you ever saw, so far from all asso- 
ciations that nobody likes to go there to stay long ; 
and laboring people are never contented unless they 
are in crowds. Now if you hear of any good 
boy that is homeless and friendless, and is willing 
to work for a good living, send me word, good- 
bye.” 

As the friend departed Dicky put the last touches 
to the boots, and tapping his box looked up into 
the face of the man. As he saw the kindly, 
generous expression, he timidly said : 

“Please, sir, would I do?” 

“Yes, it does nicely,” replied the man, misunder- 
standing him. “You have done your work well.” 

“ Thank you, sir,” said Dicky, “ but you said to 
that gentleman that you wanted a boy to work for 
you. Would I do for that?” 

“You?” said the man, “let me take a look at 
you, then.” As he put his hand under Dicky’s 
chin, and took a prolonged look at his face, Dicky 
bore the scrutiny unflinchingly, and his heart beat 
quickly with hope. At length the gentleman said, 
“Yes, I believe you will; but do you want to go 



Brave Hearts Win. 


Page 44 . 


4 




BRAVE HEARTS WIN \ 


45 


out of the city, way out among the hills and woods 
with the foxes and the squirrels?” 

“Yes, sir, I do,” said the boy. 

“ But,” replied the man, “ I must go at once, it is 
now only time enough to make a call or two and 
reach the train.” 

“Well, sir,” said Dicky, “I am ready. I am 
homeless and friendless and no one to say good-bye 
to ; and all I have I have with me.” As he said 
this, the tone of. sadness as well as the words of the 
boy touched the man’s heart. 

“Well, well,” he said, “I have heard of such 
things in the city, but didn’t know it was true, but 
come along, and you will find a home, and friends 
if you only do what is right.” 

In less than an hour they were many miles from 
the city, going far away into the beautiful country. 


CHAPTER V. 

THE STOLEN CHILD. 

INE years before the opening of our story, in 



one of the brown-stone houses on Broad 


Street, there lived one of the wealthy merchants of 
the city. His house was the dwelling-place of 
happiness. Death had never robbed them of their 
joys, and perfect health had ever been their portion. 

Little Richie, their only child, now about three 
years old, was the counterpart of his mother. His 
eyes, his brow, his mouth, his hair, all strongly 
resembled hers, and he was none the less the de- 
light of the parents’ hearts because of this resem- 
blance. Richie was supposed to be always in the 
care of a nurse, and the nurse had her positive 
orders never to go beyond certain limits ; but she 
had her friends, and sometimes they would get 
together, and pass beyond the limitations set by the 
careful parents. But as babes tell no tales, the 
misdeeds of the nurse were not known. 

One day when the weather was very fine, the 
nurse took Richie out as usual, and meeting her 
cousin, as she called him, she left the little boy to 


BRAVE HEARTS WIN. 


47 


enjoy himself for a few minutes while she talked to 
him friend. As this friend spoke sweet words to 
he, words she liked to hear, she forgot her charge, 
she walked on, and only when she saw the shadows 
lengthening did she return to a sense of her duty, 
and look about her to see how Richie was enjoying 
himself. To her consternation she could not see 
him anywhere. She called him, but no answer 
came back to her. She looked for him here and 
there; she rushed frantically to the street-corners, 
but no sign of the boy. In dreadful alarm, she 
knew not what to do, but with characteristic 
instinct dropped on her knees and began to call on 
the Virgin Mary to help her, and she was thus 
engaged when Mr. Morris, the boy’s father, found 
her. He had been alarmed at their protracted 
absence, had come out to look for them. When 
she saw her master’s face, she burst into great 
protestations and sobs ; she urged her great love for 
the child; but said the boy had got out of her 
sight, and she could not find him. 

Mr. Morris was deeply alarmed as from her 
ravings he gradually learned the facts of the case, 
and at once had the police informed of the loss of 
his boy and stimulated to the most energetic effort 
to find him. Not being able to do at the time any 
more than this, he went sadly back to his home, to 


48 BRAVE HEARTS WIN . 

communicate the sorrowful news to his wife. To 
her the full import of it at once became apparent, 
and she was so prostrated by the terrible shock that 
her condition became a question of life or death. 

Mr. Morris was now absorbed in caring for his 
wife, but his anguish increased as day followed day, 
and the same sad report came to them : “ No trace 
of the child.” A deep, dark mystery enshrouded 
his loss. No clue presented itself to start them in 
the right way; no skill could find the thread to 
begin the unraveling. 

The mother recovered her health, but never 
fully her happiness, and a cloud hung over the 
household that could not be dispelled. Other 
children came to bless their weary hearts, but the 
loss of Richie, their first born, could not be for- 
gotten. As the years passed by, all but the mother 
came to the belief that he was dead, and thus they 
mourned him; but the mother thought that some 
day he would surely appear. She would have been 
willing to give anything, if she could only be 
assured of that fact, and she hoped to be, she 
trusted God in that faith, and it gave her comfort. 
But no light came, and the years glided along. 

One day one of Mrs. Mullens’ beggars came to 
her and said her daughter had just died, and 
desired her to take care of her child, and raise him 


BRAVE HEARTS WIN. 


49 


as her own. Mrs. Mullens thought it might be 
company for Mary, so she willingly consented to do 
so. When the little boy was brought to her, she 
saw at once that he w r as a stolen child, whose she 
could not learn, the secret was with the dead 
woman. She, however, kept the boy, and raised 
him as her own. She took from him the garments 
in which he was dressed, and made him new T ones ; 
his own she carefully laid away, supposing that 
some time in the future they might furnish a clue 
to his real parentage. 

She liked the little fellow, and petted him con- 
siderably, but as her business increased, and the 
struggle for a living became more absorbing, she 
began to look upon him only as a means of making 
money. First he was employed in begging and 
stealing. But at length, when he was old enough, 
she got him a box and started him out on the 
streets to earn his living as a little bootblack. 
Smart and active, he learned rapidly and some- 
times brought home quite large earnings. 

His name, Bichie, was embroidered on his little 
jacket, but that was all, so she called him Kichie 
Mullens, which soon became Dicky Mullens, and 
by this name he was known in the alley. 

The circumstances of his coming, were soon for- 
gotten by the few that knew of them, and the story 
D 


50 


BRAVE HEARTS WIN. 


never reached the ears of the police. They often 
saw the boy, hut only knew him as the brat of that 
tigress Mullens. And so the time passed until the 
time of the beginning of our story. 

On the day in which Dicky fled from the city, 
Mrs. Mullens paid no special attention to his 
absence until late in the evening; then as he did 
not return, she became anxious about him, and as 
the hours passed, a strange suspicion entered her 
mind, that perhaps, during the previous evening 
he was not as sleepy as he appeared to be. Nervous 
and excited, she waited until her last customer had 
departed, then locking the door, she went to her 
secret repository, opened it, and, as she feared, the 
valuable cross and chain had been removed. 
Dumfounded she gazed at the vacant place, while 
thoughts of terrible wrath crossed her mind. Was 
this her reward for sheltering a homeless brat, who 
should have died on the street? Then she began 
to think how she might recover the treasure. As 
for the boy, she promised herself, that if she ever 
had him in her clutches again, there would be one 
boy less to trouble the w T orld. 

The next morning she instructed all of her 
helpers to keep a sharp look-out for him, and 
promised ten dollars to the one that would tell her 
of his hiding place; and before noon, the promise 


BRAVE HEARTS WIN. 


51 


of the reward had spread, until five hundred pairs 
of eyes, of beggars, tramps, and bootblacks were 
on the watch, eagerly peering here and there for 
the missing boy. 

Meanwhile she was in a state of great excitement, 
and whenever her eye fell upon anything that 
belonged to him, she became infuriated, and hurled 
it from her, or in blind rage trampled it beneath 
her feet. As her eye beheld the little embroidered 
jacket he wore when first brought to her, she seized 
it, to tear it in pieces, but just then one of her poor 
beggars came in and asked that she might have it 
for her little child, the one that helped her to beg. 
Mrs. Mullens gave it to her, and it was not many 
hours before the wretched child of the professional 
beggar was arrayed in a better robe, than its 
mother had ever before been able to give it. 

The following morning, the beggar with her 
child, passing up the street, found a good place 
near the corner of Chestnut and Eighth Streets, to 
sit on the pavement and beg. The weather was 
extremely pleasant, and large crowds were on the 
streets, and the beggar hoped to be quite successful 
in her mute appeals. Most of the time the child 
was lying on her arm, but at times she would let 
him stand up beside her, to rest her arm. He was 
thus standing by her side, when an open carriage, 


52 BRAVE HEARTS WIN, 

containing a lady and a gentleman, blocked by tbe 
number of vehicles in the street, stopped for a mo- 
ment. As the carriage stopped, the lady happened 
to glance toward the beggar, then with a sudden 
start stared at the child, and the next moment 
fainted. Her husband was considerably alarmed, 
but she revived in a moment, but only to burst into 
hysterical sobbing. 

As the carriage began to move on, she begged her 
husband to have it draw close to the curbstone, and 
wait awhile. Then to his astonishment she told him 
the cause of her strange behavior. 

“ Husband,” she said, “ that little child by that 
begging woman has on the jacket our Richie wore, 
when he was lost, nine years ago.” 

“ Oh, no,” he replied, “ that cannot be, it is im- 
possible.” 

“ Oh,” she answered, “ don’t doubt me, I would 
know it among a thousand, I am sure we shall find 
his name on it, just look and see if it is not there, 
you remember how neatly I worked it there, myself. 
I know this is the same one, and husband, it may 
be the clue that will lead us to our boy. Oh, don’t 
let the child get out of your sight until I can con- 
trol myself, and we can talk with the beggar, and 
see where she got it. 

Mr. Morris soon led his wife from the carriage to 


BRAVE HEARTS WIN. 53 

speak to the beggar. She had a long story to tell 
of the hard times, and her husband’s sickness ; and 
assured her that she never did such a thing before 
in her life, but was now compelled to beg, in order 
to get bread for her children, when Mr. Morris 
asked her if she would like to have five dollars, 
her eyes glittered brightly as she answered: “In- 
deed and I would do anything almost for that.” 

But when Mr. Morris asked her “ who gave her 
the little coat her child was wearing” she began to 
suspect there was some mystery connected with it ; 
and she knew that if she exposed Mrs. Mullens, 
she would be made to feel the consequences, so she 
quietly answered : 

“A good kind lady took pity on the little fellow, 
and gave it -to him.” 

Mr. Morris, watching the woman’s expression, 
caught its changes, and saw that she was trifling 
with him, so he sharply replied : 

“That is not all you know about it. You did 
not get this coat from a good kind lady, as you say. 
Now if you will tell me the truth of the matter, I 
will give you five dollars ; and if you will aid me 
so that I can find the boy for whom this coat was 
made, I will fill your plate with gold dollars.” 

But the woman was not going to be caught, even 
by so great a reward, so she answered : 


64 


BRAVE HEARTS WIN. 


“Sir, if ye will be here to-morrow, I will tell 
you all I can find out, but I can tell you nothing 
to-day.” 

The refusal of his offer at once proved to Mr. 
Morris that the woman was withholding important 
information, and that she could not be brought to 
impart it. He thought she had destroyed his child ; 
for surely if the child was alive, the offer of the 
gold would have influenced her in revealing it. 
Mr. Morris did not know the terror of the sway 
which Mrs. Mullens had over those creatures of 
poverty and vice within her grasp. 

“Very well,” he replied, “as you refuse to confess 
what you know about it, I shall be under the 
necessity of compelling you, and you can only 
escape punishment by telling me the truth and the 
whole truth about it.” 

Calling a policeman, he instructed him to at 
once take the woman before the magistrate. 
The poor creature was greatly frightened as she 
stood before him, and knowing the power of the 
law, she promised to tell all she knew, if he would 
not put her in prison. Then begging him to 
protect her from the anger of others who might be 
implicated, she told them how the coat had been 
given to her the previous day by Mrs. Mullens. 

Mr. Morris now obtained a squad of policemen, 


BRAVE HEARTS WIN. 


55 


and the entire party started for her home. As 
they entered the alley, reeking with filth, and Mrs. 
Morris saw the character of the place, and those 
dwelling there, she was filled with fear, but her 
husband assured her there was no danger, that she 
would be surrounded all the time by the vigilant 
policemen, and that no one would be allowed to 
approach her even to touch her. 

Mrs. Mullens was at her counter as usual, waiting 
on her customers when her attention was attracted 
by a carriage stopping before her door. She went 
to the window to see the cause of so strange an 
event, and before she had time to retrace her steps, 
six policemen came out of the carriage, four of 
them at once entering her house and commanded 
her to remain where she w T as until further orders. 

Taken by surprise, and thoroughly alarmed, 
conscious of guilt in many ways, and not knowing 
for what the blow was to fall, she began crying, and 
protesting in the name of the Virgin and all the 
angels, that she had never done anybody a wrong 
in all her life. The other carriage now came up, 
and Mr. Morris, Mrs. Morris, the beggar and child 
alighted and came into the room. Mr. Morris said : 

“ Mrs. Mullens, as we were on Chestnut Street to- 
day, my wife saw this woman, and her child with 
this little jacket, a jacket that belonged to our little 


56 


BRAVE HEARTS WIN. 


boy, who was lost nine years ago. Now if you will 
restore to us our child, no questions will be asked, 
and you shall receive as a reward, a hundred dollars 
for every year he has lived. Now will you do it?” 

At the mention of this immense sum of money, 
Mrs. Mullens looked up in great surprise, and for a 
moment carefully considered the situation. In a 
moment she concluded to act on true principle. 
She felt that she could not attempt to deceive the 
sweet-faced woman before her. Besides, what 
would be the use? Perhaps her every footstep was 
shadowed by the detectives ; she could not tell. So 
she told the story, how the child had been brought 
to her ; how she was attracted by his winsome ways, 
so that she loved him from the first ; how she raised 
him as her own child; how pretty he was, and 
smart, and how he acted like great folks; how 
honest and industrious he was, that every morning 
he went out to black boots, and every evening he 
brought home his earnings. As she told her story, 
it was corroborated by the neighbors who had 
gathered about the door, and who declared a better 
boy had never lived. 

As Mrs. Mullens went on with her story, Mrs. 
Morris was deeply affected. It was the greatest joy 
to really know that her boy lived, and that she 
should see him again. But it was agony to think 


BRAVE HEARTS WIN. 57 

that her child, her precious darling, should be 
reared in such a place, and by such a woman. But 
when Mrs. Mullens said he had not returned home 
for two days, and she did not know the reason of it, 
with the joy of knowing he was yet alive, came 
the disappointment of hope deferred. 

Mrs. Morris was now sent home in the care of a 
policeman, there to await the coming of her hoy, 
while Mr. Morris stationed the policemen in the 
neighborhood until the close of the act, not doubt- 
ing but that it was near at hand. 

In the meantime he talked with several of the 
neighbors about the boy. Learning that he was 
known by the missionary, he sent for that gentle- 
man, and had a long talk with him about the lad. 
It was with great gratification he learned of the 
difference between his son, and the degraded people, 
with whom the place abounded ; and as he heard 
of the change in his son’s thoughts and habits, he 
resolved to bestow upon the work of mission in this 
section, a large sum of money. It had helped his 
son, how many other sons might it not save ? 

But the day wore on and the boy did not return. 
Darkness came down, and still no tidings. As the 
beggars came in, they all reported — no sight or 
trace of him ; he had not been to any of his cus- 
tomary places. As all told the same story, Mrs. 


58 BRAVE HEARTS WIN. 

Mullens wept, for she realized that the boy had 
succeeded in getting beyond her power. But her 
heart was touched for the poor mother anxiously 
waiting the news. 

Taking Mr. Morris to one side of the room, she 
told him that she feared the boy would not return, 
that a stolen article of value had been brought to 
her, and that he had secretly taken it, she believed 
to return it to the owner, and perhaps was afraid 
to come back for fear of punishment. 

Mr. Morris saw that the woman’s sorrow was 
real ; he believed the story she told ; and leaving 
two of the officers, sadly returned to his home. 

Again his wife was in grief, but the next day 
hope revived, for every policeman in the city had 
a full description of the missing bootblack ; every 
newspaper with double headings, told the story, an 
immense reward was offered, every detective w r as 
aroused to the search ; but Dicky was beyond the 
reach of them all, with a lighter heart than he 
had known for years. He felt that he was in 
Eden restored. For out of the smoke, and filth, 
and cursing of the abode of iniquity which had 
been his home, he was transplanted into the 
country, the fresh, blooming country, amidst green 
fields and sparkling streams, the singing of birds 
and the thousands of nature’s harmonies. 


CHAPTER VI. 

THE SAFE RETREAT. 

A S the cars rapidly whirled along, taking Dicky 
farther and farther from the city, he felt a 
degree of exhilaration such as he had never before 
known. 

It was the first time in his life that he had ridden 
on the steam-cars, except as on some occasion in the 
city he would steal a ride for a few squares on the 
freight trains, that so slowly moved through the 
streets. But now he was in a real car, on an 
express train, and moving very rapidly. Every- 
thing was new ; the far-stretching fields, the great 
forest-covered hills; the little villages; the dress 
and manner of the people ; and a great pleasure it 
was, a great relief to his pent-up spirits, and many 
bright hopes were aroused. 

As he thus gazed upon beautiful nature, new 
thoughts of God sprang up in his heart; somehow 
he could not help thinking of God, and of the 
garden of Eden, which he had read about, and of 

Cain, for the children of Cain were the dwellers in 

59 


60 


BRAVE HEARTS WIN. 


the city, and Cain’s spirit still lingered in its crowded 
haunts. But the most beautiful of all places was 
the garden, where God talked to man. And as the 
train whirled past the beautiful homes of the 
farmers, he wondered if God talked to the people 
in these country homes, these Edenic bowers. He 
thought these places must surely be God’s homes, 
and that the people must love him with a very 
great love. Hour after hour the train swept on, 
and still he looked and wondered at it all. 

Mr. Gordon, his newly found friend, was engaged 
in conversation with an acquaintance he had met 
on the train, so that Dicky was left to himself 
during almost the entire journey. 

It was late in the afternoon, just as the brakeman 
called out “Nottingham Station,” that Mr. Gordon 
touched Dicky on the shoulder, and said : 

“ Here we are, my boy, at our stopping place for 
this time ; or rather I should say, here we leave the 
cars, and go home by a slower and less convenient 
way. Are you a good walker, for we have several 
miles to travel 4 o’er the hills, o’er the dales/ as the 
song goes? You see I told you we lived back in 
the woods.” 

But Dicky cheerfully answered that he was 
not afraid of the walk, for some time he had been 
wishing for the privilege of walking in the beautiful 


BRAVE HEARTS WIN. 


61 


country he had seen, and now hailed that privilege 
with delight. 

Their walk led them through a long woods, past 
some thriving farms, and then up a long steep hill. 
At the top of this hill, at the cross-roads, they saw 
a country store. They were now half way home 
from the station. After talking a few minutes with 
the store-keeper, during which time Dicky feasted 
his eyes on the novelties of the country, they started 
on their way again. Down the hill, up another, 
through a forest, down to the creek and along it, 
over the bridge, up another hill, across a field, by a 
path, a short cut through a small grove, and the 
travelers were at home. 

“Here we are at home,” said Mr. Gordon, as 
they came in sight of the house, and it was well 
that they were, as it was almost dark, and already 
they were lighting the lamps. 

As they approached the house, a little child 
espied them, and shouting : 

“Papa’s turn, papa’s turn!” with outstretched 
hands rushed towards them. 

Hearing the noise, three other children came 
from the doorway, and laughing, followed the little 
one, to get a kiss from papa, before mamma could 
get the choice ones. As Mr. Gordon clasped the 
little ones to his breast, he said to Dicky : 


62 


BRAVE HEARTS WIN . 


“My boy, these are my children; here Eddie, 
Tommie, Mamie, and Jennie, go and shake hands 
with the stranger.” 

As they did so, little Jennie looked up into his 
face and said : 

“ Is ’ou a stwanger, I des I’ll tiss ’ou den, an’ ’ou 
won’t be a stwanger any more.” 

Then puckering her lips she reached up to him, 
and for the first time that he could remember, he 
received the kisses and the embrace of a little 
child. It was more than he could bear, the tears 
flowed from his eyes, and only by a great effort 
could he keep back the rising sobs. 

At that moment Mrs. Gordon came to the door, 
her face wreathed with smiles, and as she fondly 
kissed her husband she said : 

“Welcome home, dear husband, we have been 
very lonely since you went away. But who is this 
you have with you ? ” 

“Well really,” said Mr. Gordon, “I haven’t asked 
him his name yet, but he is a boy I found in the 
city, he wanted to come with me, so I brought him, 
and I think he will suit me.” 

As Mr. Gordon said this he looked at Dicky, 
and smiled, a smile expressing confidence and 
satisfaction. 

“ I am glad to see you my boy,” said Mrs. Gor- 


BRAVE HEARTS WIN. 


63 


don kindly, as she took his hand, and then with 
a true motherly touch, she put her arm over his 
shoulder, and looking into his face a moment said : 
“ I hope you are a good boy, you look like one,” 
and then she kissed him on his forehead, as she 
said, “ I hope you will be happy here, so far away 
from your home.” 

Poor Dicky was entirely overcome. Never 
before had he received such treatment. Unable 
any longer to control his feelings, he turned aside 
and wept pent up tears that would not be restrained. 
The larger children silently looked on the scene ; 
little Jennie drew near to her mother; Mr. Gor- 
don went out to see one of his men for a few 
moments; and Mrs. Gordon calmly waited to let 
the first burst of feelings pass and then to comfort 
the stranger boy. At length controlling himself 
he said: 

“I beg your pardon for being so babyish, but 
ma’am your are the first one that has ever treated 
me so. I have been used to kicks and blows, and 
curses, and all that ; but to have so much kindness 
shown to me, and a stranger too, was more than I 
could bear. Ma’am, I am ready to lay down my 
life for you.” 

Mrs. Gordon at once understood him; she had 
seen families in which love was a stranger, and her 


64 BRAVE HEARTS WIN. 

heart had often bled for the little ones who suffered 
from such coldness. So this served to draw her the 
closer to Dicky, and taking his hand, she said : 

“Well, my boy, you will never receive kicks or 
blows or curses here. We do not do things that 
way. But we will want to love you, and want you 
to love us, and thus we will all rejoice together in 
love. And now,” she added, “ what shall we call 
you?” 

“ My name,” he replied, “ is Dicky Mullens.” 

Mrs. Gordon smiled as he spoke, and then said 
to him : 

“ That is easily remembered ; but don’t you think 
you would like to have it changed a little? How 
would you like to have us to call you Richard 
Mullens?” 

“Oh,” he answered, “I should like it ever so 
much; it seems more honorable like to be called 
that.” 

“Well then we will understand that to he your 
name,” she replied. 

“Children,” she added, turning toward them, 
“this is Richard Mullens, and I want you all to 
love and treat him as a brother.” 

“Yes, mamma, we will,” they all answered, and 
J ennie added : “ I will ’ove ’ou as a hover, tiss me 
now ; dat is the way hovers do to dere ’ittle sisters.” 


BRAVE HEARTS WIN. 


65 


Richard did kiss her again and again, and 
nestled her little flaxen head closely to his heart. 

Mr. Gordon now came in to supper, for Eddie 
had rung the bell, and when he saw his little pet 
child nestling so cozily on Richard’s arm, he said : 

“Ah, I see you are at home already. Well, that 
is right. Now sit up at the table, and we will eat, 
for I suspect you must be quite hungry, and I 
realize by this time that I am.” 

As they sat by the table little Jennie crossed her 
hands before her on her little plate, and with the 
others remained perfectly quiet, while their papa 
asked a blessing on the food before them. 

Richard was really very hungry, after his long 
walk in the open air, and he ate with great relish, 
and Mr. Gordon persisted in placing food upon his 
plate, until he felt that he could eat no more. 

But what food it w r as! It was not the dainty 
bits selected out of what the beggars brought in, 
such as he had been used to, but the freshest, and 
cleanest, and nicest kind of food, carefully prepared 
by Mrs. Gordon for her family, who had been 
always accustomed to a nice and well furnished 
table. 

After supper Mr. Gordon did not go out, but 
sitting in the big arm chair, took Eddie on one 

knee, and Tommie on the other, while Mamie 
E 


BRAVE HEARTS WIN. 


helped her mother, and Jennie clung to Richard. 
While Mrs. Gordon was finishing her work, the 
children chatted with their father about the way 
they had spent their time, and he told them of 
some of the funny things he had seen in the 
city. 

The work was soon finished, and then Mrs. Gor- 
don sat down with her darning-basket before her, 
and asked Richard about his life in the city. 

“Well, ma’am,” he said, “it isn’t much that I 
have to tell, that you will care about hearing ; for I 
haven’t been raised as you have raised your chil- 
dren ; I have been raised in one of the wickedest 
parts of Philadelphia, where all hours of the day 
and night there are men and women drunk and 
fighting, and swearing, and all that. And when I 
was a little boy smaller than Tommie, I was sent 
out on the street to beg, or steal, or do anything 
that lay in my way to get things for the woman I 
lived with. I thought she was my mother, but she 
wasn’t, and I didn’t know any better then. She 
had a daughter named Mary, who died a few weeks 
ago, and just before she died she told me I was a 
stolen child, and then I made up my mind I would 
run away ; and when I heard your husband say he 
wanted a boy, I thought it was my chance, so I 
offered myself, and he took me, and I pray God 


BRAVE HEARTS WIN. 


67 


may bless it to us all, for I am sure it is the hap- 
piest day of my life.” 

As Richard spoke of his stealing, Mrs. Gordon 
trembled as she thought, perhaps he will lead my 
children astray, but as he spoke of God in it, she 
repented the thought, and asked : 

“ How did you learn about God, and what do you 
know about him ? ” 

“ Why, ma’am,” he answered, “ near our house 
lives a good missionary, and he told me about God, 
and since I heard of God, I have given up stealing, 
and fighting, and swearing, and have tried to be 
good. But it has been dreadful hard sometimes 
to resist the temptations; but God has helped me, 
and has kept me, and I can never thank him enough 
for leading me to your home to-day.” 

“‘Blessed is the man whom thou choosest and 
and causest to approach unto thee, that he may 
dwell in thy courts,’ ” said Mr. Gordon. “And 
now, my dear boy, we are glad you have come, you 
are truly like a waif cast up by the waters ; and 
if you put your trust in God, he will sustain you, 
and in the end will bring you joy, and at the same 
time his own glory will be manifested, 

‘ In some way or other, the Lord will provide, 

It may not be my way, 

It* may not be thy way, 

And yet in his own way, the Lord will provide.* ** 


BRAVE HEART 8 WIN . 


“ Now then, darlings,” she added, “it is time for 
you to go to bed. Come, Mamie, hand papa the 
Bible, Ann pass the singing books around ; then 
we shall soon be ready to retire.” 

Mamie did as she was requested, and out of the 
good old Hymn Book, they sang “Bock of Ages 
Cleft for me.” Bichard joined in the singing, he 
had learned the tune at the missionary’s school, 
and the addition of his clear tenor voice helped 
greatly the delightful service. After this Mr. 
Gordon read the twenty-third Psalm, and then 
offered prayer, thanksgiving for the blessings they 
had received, and then the entreaty that the divine 
blessing would continue to abide with them. After 
the service, the children were put to bed, and 
Bichard was shown to his room. After the young 
folks had retired, Mr. and Mrs. Gordon talked for 
a long time about the stranger who had come to 
them. They wondered what special providence 
of God could be in it; for all the circumstances 
seemed to indicate special leading of the divine 
hand. 

Mr. Gordon was comparatively a poor man ; and 
his home was plain as suited his circumstances. It 
was not surrounded and ornamented with works of 
art, or the so-called comforts of life of the towns- 
people. There was only a common rag carpet on 


BRAVE HEARTS WIN. 


the floor, and the furniture was of the plainest 
kind; the dishes were of plain stone china, and 
their clothing was in keeping with their home, but 
they were happy, and lived strictly within their 
means. When times were hard they lived care- 
fully, and it required careful planning for the good 
wife to make both ends meet ; but they lived in the 
bands of love, and trained their children in the 
ways of the Lord. 

At this time Mr. Gordon was the foreman at 
some chrome mines, and his salary was sufficient 
for them to live better than in former days, and 
also to lay up something for the wants of the future. 
But they were working people, with roughened 
hands and sun-browned brows. He worked as hard 
as any of his men, and saw to it, that every one of 
them earned the wages he received, for that was his 
duty to his employers. 

Richard was given a nice little room, large 
enough for a small bed, a chair, and a washstand. 
There was one window, over which hung a white 
muslin curtain. A strip of rag carpet was on the 
floor by the side of the bed; the bed itself was 
covered with a nice white counterpane, and along 
the side of the room was a row of pegs to serve in 
lieu of a closet. 

What a delightful sleep Richard enjoyed that 


70 


BRAVE HEARTS WIN. 


night. The bed was so nice and clean and inviting, 
not a lot of old rags and straw, such as he had been 
used to, but a real feather bed, and a white pillow 
for his head, so soft, and so restful. 

He did not forget to thank God for it all, and 
what a comfort that in his devotion there was no one 
to distrust him, he was alone, safe, and beloved. He 
fell asleep to dream of angels, and the face of God 
smiling down upon him. He was so tired, the day- 
had been such a strain upon him, such a complete 
revolution in his manner of life, that he slept much 
later than he was accustomed to, and only awoke 
when the noise of the merrily shouting children 
was heard beneath his window. 

At first he did not know what it was or where he 
was. The clean white walls, the cheerful window, 
the crowing of cocks, the laughter of little children. 
Was he still dreaming? Then came the recol- 
lection of the previous day, and he knew that he 
was in his new home. Quickly rising, he was soon 
down stairs, but not until he had read a chapter 
out of Violet Montgomery’s Bible, and had asked 
God’s blessing upon him, upon the lovely Violet, 
and upon his newly found friends. 

Mrs. Gordon greeted him with a smile. Soon 
breakfast was ready, and Mr. Gordon coming in, 
they all sat down together. Mr. Gordon then said: 


BRAVE HEARTS WIN. 


71 


“ Now, Richard, to-day you may be the guest of 
the children, and this will enable you to get 
acquainted with the place; so enjoy yourself all 
you can. Eddie, you may take charge of him, and 
then to-morrow morning at seven o’clock, when the 
bell strikes, you will be shown your work, and 
your name will go on the pay-roll as one of the 
regular hands.” Mr. Gordon then went to his 
work, and left the children with Richard. 

What a day that was! It could never be for- 
gotten. A -whole day spent with these loving, 
trusting children. They took him into the woods, 
and raced about under the great trees; they took 
him down to the creek, where the huge water-wheel 
worked the pumps of the mine ; they took him out 
to the corners where their road joined the main 
road, and showed him the country about them; 
they showed him the blacksmith shop, the office, 
the workmen’s cabins, and then having explored 
all, on the grass by the side of the house, played 
game after game, until weariness and night came 
together. Then with prayer and praise the day 
closed; and, filled with happiness, he once more 
yielded to sleep. A sweet sleep such as came not 
to those who were mourning for their long-lost boy 
in the city which he had left. 


CHAPTER VII. 


FIRST LESSONS IN SCIENCE. 

HEN the great bell that hung in a solid 



V V framework over the office began to ring 
out its call at precisely seven o’clock the next morn- 
ing, Richard was at the place where Mr. Gordon 
had informed him he would be expected to work. 
This place was under a shed, near some other sheds, 
and not far from the mouth of the main shaft of 
the mine. Under these sheds a number of boys 
were engaged in separating the good ore from the 
various minerals in which it was imbedded. The 
larger and entirely pure masses of ore from the 
mine, were placed on a large heap, while the smaller 
pieces mixed with other things, were brought up 
and deposited near these sheds for these boys to 
separate properly, and deposit in the places appro- 
priated to the different materials. With small 
hammers, on old anvils, they broke the rocks, 
throwing the good into wheelbarrows, and when 
these were full depositing the load on the great pile, 
from whence it was hauled to the railroad, and then 


72 


BRAVE HEARTS WIN. 


73 


sent to the city to be ground up into merchantable 
chrome. 

On another pile, the refuse and all the rocks of 
various kinds taken out of the depths of the mine 
were thrown. There were many of these heaps con- 
taining thousands of tons of rocks, and the various 
kinds on these heaps soon became to Richard a 
source of delightful interest. 

Richard’s companions were Irish boys, of about 
his own age. They were good natured little fellows 
who had spent their whole lives in this place, and 
were almost entirely ignorant of the great world 
beyond. In the winter months they had gone to 
the district school, and had learned to a small 
extent to read and write, but as their ideas were of 
the crudest sort, this intellectual discipline was 
forced labor ; but their ignorance did not prevent 
them from, being happy. They were pleased in 
having this accession to their number, and in their 
rude way treated Richard quite familiarly. 

Mr. Gordon soon taught Richard what the 
chrome was. This was easy to learn. It was very 
black and granular. 

This one rock was to be cast into the barrows, 
everything else, of whatsoever form or color it 
might be, was to be thrown upon the great waste 
heaps. It was not necessary for him to learn the 


74 


BRAVE HEARTS WIN. 


names and qualities of all these different things; 
he only needed to know which was the ore, the 
chrome. 

As Mr. Gordon told him this, he quaintly added, 

“ It is like the narrow road, my boy, that leads 
to life. It is only one road, and that plain enough, 
and all others, call them by what name you will, 
lead to death. So remember, that the ore is 
valuable, the other stones are worthless.” 

Richard soon acquired the knack of separating 
the two; and before the first day closed so con- 
ducted himself that Mr. Gordon was well pleased 
with his new hand. The other boys were very 
garrulous. All day their tongues were in motion ; 
they amused each other with the most trivial 
remarks, and when one of them would essay a 
witticism, the others would loudly laugh their 
applause. Of course, their work went slowly, but 
what did they care so long as they filled in the 
time? 

Richard, however, felt that such a course was 
dishonest to his employer, so he steadily worked 
away until he soon gained the reputation of being 
one of the best work boys in the place. 

“Yes,” said some, “a new broom sweeps clean;” 
but Richard proved to be a broom of that kind 
that never wears out. 


BRAVE HEARTS WIN. 


75 


After the day’s work was over, there were still 
several hours before bed time, and seeing his eager 
desire for knowledge, Mr. Gordon instructed 
Richard in the ordinary branches studied at school. 
It was quite difficult for him to concentrate his 
thoughts on books, for the steady work of the day 
nearly exhausted his vitality, but as he persevered, 
he soon began to make real and steady progress. 

Mrs. Gordon had a few books, select volumes, 
such as she thought aided the spirit of devotion, 
and these she allowed Richard to read. As he 
read them he began to love them, and these books 
became to him as dear friends, with whom he could 
converse, so that in the greatest solitude he could 
enjoy the most delightful company. Many great 
words sadly perplexed him, and sometimes he could 
not quite catch the sense ; but the more he read, 
the clearer it became, and then along with his real 
daily life stretched this mysterious ideal life of the 
mind and soul. As he pounded the ore day 
after day, his mind dwelt on greater things, and 
he learned to work and at the same time, to think. 
His companions thought he was very quiet and sad, 
and they wondered what made him so absent 
minded; and often times they laughed at the 
little jokes they would play off on him, all of 
which he took so innocently. They lived only in 


76 


BRAVE HEARTS WIH. 


the present, merely on the surface of events, to be 
cast hither and thither all their lives, by the winds 
of circumstances ; his life was becoming anchored 
deep down on the solid foundations, where these 
winds would hardly disturb, he was already 
building so as to become a master, and not to 
remain forever a slave. 

As he struck blow after blow at the rocks need- 
ing to be separated, he began to notice the different 
colors they presented, and questions would often 
come up in his mind as to how these things came 
to be. He wished to know why these stones were 
not all black, and he secretely doubted the correct- 
ness of Mr. Gordon’s assertion that the white and 
the red, the yellow and the green, were worthless. 
He thought, they surely must be worth something 
to somebody. 

Gleams of intelligence burst forth from his active 
mind as he considered these things, and sometimes 
the uplifted hammer was for a moment suspended 
that he might admire the pretty color of the stone 
he was breaking. When he spoke of these pretty 
colors to Mr. Gordon, he remarked : 

“ Down in the mine, the men have sometimes 
found strange forms in these different colors, and 
they look very pretty too, when the glare of candle 
light is upon them.” 


BRAVE HEART 8 WIN. 


77 


But Mr. Gordon was a practical workman, he 
knew the value of the chrome, hut these other 
things, representing no wealth in the market, 
presented no attractions to his eyes ; and whether a 
stone was white, or red, or yellow, beautiful or 
otherwise, he cared not. Mrs. Gordon, however, 
sympathized with Richard in his admiration for the 
beautiful, and when he brought choice pieces to the 
house, she would call them pretty, and encouraged 
him to look for more. 

One day Mr. Gordon told him to prepare to go 
down into the mine with him ; for in the future he 
might often desire to send him down, and it would 
be necessary for him to learn all of its parts. So 
Richard put on a yellow oil-cloth suit, pants, coat, 
and hat, and taking in his hand a small candle 
followed Mr. Gordon to the great shaft. This shaft 
was in two divisions, extending side by side into the 
depths of the mine. In the one part they lowered 
the machinery and timber used in the mine, and 
also hauled up the ore and the broken rocks; in 
the other part, were the ladders — reaching from 
platform to platform — by which the men went up 
and down the mine. The great pipes up which 
the water was pumped were in the first division, 
and the water was forced up from the depths of 
the mine at the rate of about seventy-six gallons 


78 


BRAVE HEARTS WIN . 


a minute, thus keeping the mine from being 
flooded. 

As Mr. Gordon and Richard paused a moment 
at the top of the ladders to light their candles, 
Richard glanced about him, and thought of the 
charming beauty of nature. When they had de- 
scended the first ladder, all the beauty that could 
be seen was that of the blue sky above them, but 
to Richard it was the reminder of God’s everlasting 
faithfulness. As they went down farther and 
farther, this was lost sight of, and the wet ladders, 
the dripping walls of the shaft, and the cold air 
from beneath, demanded their attention. In pass- 
ing from one ladder to another on the narrow 
platform, they were very careful, for a misstep 
might cause them to fall, and be crushed in the 
depths of the mine. 

They descended on the ladders about two hun- 
dred feet, and then an inclined slope led down to 
the places where the men were working. 

The mine was nearly seven hundred feet deep; 
and way down, five hundred feet below the sur- 
face, by the light of their blue candles, the 
miners were slowly taking out the ore. Mr. 
Gordon took Richard into all the breasts, slopes, 
and chambers of the mine, and explained to him 
how the roof was arched, and how the miners 


BRAVE HEARTS WIN. 


79 


protected themselves from accidents, from blasts or 
falling of rocks. Some of the chambers were no 
longer worked, the edge of the vein of ore being 
reached, but these places were perfectly safe, as 
the rocks were solid, and the roof so carefully 
arched, that nothing less than an earthquake could 
bring it down. 

Here, too, Mr. Gordon showed Richard veins 
running through the ore, in which various pretty 
stones were found, that were regarded by the work- 
men as curiosities, though they did not care to 
burden themselves with them. To Richard these 
stones were more attractive than the ore, and he 
wondered why God made such beautiful things to 
be hidden in the depths of the rocks. 

In one place they came to a vein in which was a 
soft, wet rock, so soft as to be easily cut with a 
knife, and in this there were clusters of snow-white 
crystals, like a thistle flower in shape, and some of 
them nearly as large in size. These delicate crys- 
tals, all pointing out from the centres of the little 
hemispheres, were as slender as the finest needles, 
yet every one of them was perfectly limpid and 
sparkled with the purest white light. 

When Richard saw them, he was charmed, and 
at once began to cut away the soft rock from one 
of them, to get it for Mrs. Gordon. As he cut the 


80 BRAVE HEARTS WIN. 

soft rock, he found there were several of the 
crystals in a cluster, so that he had to work very 
carefully, to get them all out without breaking; 
and when he had them safely in his hand, there was 
another trouble. It was so delicate that he dared 
not hold it in his fingers ; if he put it in his pocket 
it would be crushed ; it was too beautiful to leave 
there, now that he possessed it ; but what to do with 
it, was the difficulty. Mr. Gordon solved this 
difficulty by making a deep dint in the crown of 
his hat, putting the cluster carefully in the dint. 
By this means he could carry it safely to the 
surface. Kichard laughed at this expedient. He 
had seen in the city women carrying baskets of 
apples on their heads, but to use the head to carry 
things too delicate for the hands to handle, was 
truly amusing. As they were about leaving the 
chamber, Mr. Gordon said : 

“ When we were working here, a great many very 
pretty pieces were found in this crevice, but nobody 
comes for them any more. This is a deserted part 
of the mine. Some of the men are afraid to come 
here. They call this the haunted chamber. They 
say that when they were working here, a blast went 
off before they were ready for it, and one of the 
men was frightfully mutilated. He groaned very 
sadly as he died, and they report that when the 


BRAVE HEARTS WIN. 


81 


hour conies around in which he was blown up, they 
can still hear his groans. 

“But, Richard, don’t you ever believe such 
nonsense, for there is no truth in it, and what they 
think is his groaning is only the rubbing of the 
barrels against the sides of the shaft near here, as 
the ore is hauled up. They don’t know, however, 
that this is what makes the noise, and I don’t care 
to tell them.” 

As they started on their return they took a 
different course from the one by which they had 
come down, in order to ascend through a new 
shaft. This was reached through a series of 
ascending chambers, in which a number of men 
were working. As they entered the lowest of these 
chambers, about two hundred feet below the surface, 
they could look up at about an angle of seventy 
degrees, up over the steep slope of broken rocks, 
through the various chambers, up through the hole 
in the surface of the ground, and see the clear light 
of day, and the blue sky, as the bright promise of 
light and beauty beckoning them on. But that 
straight, rocky way could not be traversed. In 
order to arrive at the entrance, they must wind 
about great jutting rocks; over narrow planks, 
beneath which chasms yawned; sometimes climb- 
ing perpendicular ladders ; sometimes mounting 
F 


82 


BRAVE HEARTS WIRT. 


slippery steps cut in the solid rocky stairways; 
but at last they reached the surface. When they 
were safely above, and there was no more climbing 
to do, Bichard took off his hat, and there in the 
dint, the little clusters of crystals lay safely 
preserved. In the light, its beauty was not dimin- 
ished, but appeared to even greater advantage than 
in the mine. As he fondly examined it, Mr. Gor- 
don said : 

“By association you will be the better able to 
remember things, as one will then suggest the other. 
Now you are living in Lancaster County, and that 
little cluster you admire so much is called Lan- 
casterite.” 

“ But is it really stone? ” asked Bichard. “ Why, 
I never heard of such stone before, it looks as if it 
was made out of the whitest glass.” 

“Yes,” replied Mr. Gordon, “delicate and spark- 
ling and beautiful as it is, it is really stone. 
People who never see anything but cobble stones 
and building blocks have no idea of what nature 
treasures away in these secret rock crevices.” 

Although Mr. Gordon did not often think of the 
various rocks, this one was so delicate, that he 
could not help noticing it. Bichard wondered 
how it was that in a rock so black as chrome, 
without a particle of sparkle except in its intense 


BRAVE HEARTS WIN. 


83 


blackness, could lie imbedded such white and 
glistening little clusters as these; and still another 
wonder was, that these little clusters should be 
imbedded in a matrix as soft and white, and so 
very different from both the chrome and the crystal. 
It seemed as if it was shielding the tiny crystal 
from the crushing weight of the chrome. 

Mrs. Gordon appreciated the gift, and she deter- 
mined to study into the subjects of the beautiful 
in stone, so that she might be able to answer at 
least some of the many questions that Richard so 
frankly propounded to her. She saw that he was 
no ordinary boy, but that he possessed a mind that 
would eventually lead him back into the great busy 
world, out of which he had come, to be in it as 
beautiful an ornament as was the Lancasterite in 
the chrome. 


CHAPTER VIII. 


HIDDEN TREASURES. 


S Richard’s mind dwelt on the beauty of the 



XX Lancasterite, and was considering the won- 
derful nature of stones, he thought of some other 
beautiful stones — the flashing diamonds on the 
cross that had so rudely been torn from the neck 
of Violet Montgomery. Many times of late he 
had been thinking of those diamonds, and of the 
danger of having with him valuables belonging 
to others, so precious and so liable to be lost. 
He hoped that when winter came with its cold 
and storm, compelling them to close the out-door 
work of the mines, he might be able to take a short 
trip to the city, and return them to their owner; 
but in the meantime he thought that he must take 
the best care of them. It was a burdensome secret 
to carry, but he could not safely confide in any one 
about him. The story connected with them must 
remain locked in his own breast. 

But how could he keep them securely? Some- 
times fire came and burned down houses, and if 
he left them in a house, such might be their fate. 


BRAVE HEARTS WIN. 


85 


If he left them in his room, the children might 
rummage there, and thus get hold of them. If he 
carried them with him at his work, as he had been 
doing, an accident might injure him, as sometimes 
it did the workmen, and then they would be found 
on him. In such a case, how could he explain 
their being in his possession. They would natu- 
rally think that he had stolen them, and fled from 
the city, and would probably send him to jail, and 
advertise the diamonds. He could not run such 
risks ; but what could he do ? 

Finally he concluded to bury them. He had 
heard of treasures being buried, and after many 
years being taken up as good as ever ; so he made 
a little bag, out of an old worn out oiled cloth coat, 
and putting the cross in it, sewed it up tight; this 
he wrapped in another cloth, and covered it all 
well with tallow ; then he put it in a tight wooden 
box, thoroughly pitched, and wrapped in another 
piece of the oiled cloth. 

Now he thought, he could bury it, where it would 
be safe until he wanted to use it. But where should 
he bury it? Many times Richard walked about 
in the woods, and noticed the knarls and the trunks 
of the great trees, but he could not satisfy himself 
with any of them, for he had heard of persons 
digging for hidden treasures, and finding them, 


BRAVE HEARTS WIN. 


and he did not want anyone to find these. More- 
over, there was nearly always a drove of pigs 
running loose in this grove rooting about the trees, 
and upturning the ground, and at almost any time 
they might unearth these, and lead to their dis- 
covery. He thought that he must find some other 
plan. In his many trips down into the mine, he 
had often passed by the haunted chamber, in which 
the beautiful Lancasterite had been found, and 
going into it, he had noticed a place where the 
crevice was quite wide and there was an abundance 
of the softer rock filling it. This he thought to be 
a good place to put the box. No one would ever 
disturb the place; the workmen were all afraid 
of it ; and here he could get them at any time. 

When he arrived at this conclusion, he felt 
partly relieved of his burden; and to be unseen 
by anyone, he determined to hide them that very 
night. Somewhere he had heard the saying, 
“Never put off till to-morrow what can be done 
to-day,” and on this rule he determined always to 
act. 

Richard was no coward, he did not believe in 
witches, sprites, hobgoblins, or demons of darkness, 
and all his life he had been accustomed to the grim 
and gloomy darkness, where bad men and bad 
women indulged in fierce invectives, and murderous 


BRAVE HEARTS WIN . 87 

blows, and he knew no worse foe than savage man. 
In the mine there was no difference between day 
and night. The flickering candle was always 
needed to reveal the way. 

That evening after supper, he went out into the 
darkness, not to one of the shanties as he some- 
times did, but to the mine shaft. Under his coat 
he carried the precious jewels. Going to his shed 
in the darkness he changed his clothes, and taking 
his candle went down the first ladder. There he 
lit it, and aided by its glare hastily descended the 
steep ladders. Down, down he climbed, one, two, 
three hundred feet, all alone in that deep dark pit, 
but the words of his Bible came to him: “Out 
of the depths have I cried unto thee, O Lord.” 
“ The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and 
my deliverer.” “Thou shalt not be afraid of 
the terror by night.” “He shall give his angels 
charge over thee to keep thee in all thy ways.” 

Comforted by these recollections, with a joyful 
heart he went into the deserted chamber, and there 
digging out the soft rock placed the box in the 
crevice, and then covered it over and filled in the 
soft rock he had taken out, so that if anyone should 
come that way, the entire crevice would appear 
filled up. The box was placed close by the end of 
the crevice, so that there would not be the least 


88 


BRAVE HEARTS WIN. 


possibility of his forgetting its exact location. 
Then, he quickly left the place and quietly returned 
to the surface of the ground. He had not been 
missed from the house. No human eye had 
observed him ; the affair was secret from all man- 
kind. Believing this to be the case, his mind was 
relieved of the burden of care that had for so long 
a time been hanging over it. 

But other matters were troubling him, things he 
could not hide in the crevices of the mine. In his 
own mind there seemed to be a haunted chamber. 

Many times in the evenings deep questions 
stirred his heart, questions of God, of heaven, of 
the great future. He felt that the Lord had taken 
him up, but he yearned for some knowledge of his 
real father and mother. He tried to think. He 
would often lie awake for hours trying to penetrate 
the dim past and catch a clue to his earliest sur- 
roundings. At times it seemed as if in his memory 
lingered a beautiful face bending over him, and 
his kneeling by a snow-white cot to say his evening 
prayer, but it was only a shadow of a passing 
thought, and he could not tell whether it was a 
mere dream, or the struggle of memory to bring 
back the past. 

All along his career he felt a strange yearning to 
do that which was right. What it was that thus 


BRAVE HEARTS WIN. 


moved him he could not tell, but the more he 
thought of it, the more he felt that it was the Lord. 
Yet why should it be so? Why was he inclined 
this way, and poor Mary Mullens inclined just the 
opposite way? Why was it that he wanted to learn 
of everything about him, but the other boys work- 
ing under the same shed, and at the same work, 
did not care to know? Why this difference in 
people? Who could tell him? Then he thought 
of the rocks he was daily breaking. Why was one 
soft and white, another hard and black? Why 
was one beautiful and worthless, while another was 
plain, but useful? These unanswered questions 
stimulated him even the more to seek the knowl- 
edge that somehow must come to him. To him 
there were mysteries everywhere. 

One day as the boys were at their usual work, 
their attention was attracted by the appearance of 
a wagon, with two gentlemen in it; they quite 
leisurely drove up to the stable, hitched their horse, 
and each with a hammer in hand walked to the 
great pile of chrome, and began to pound at some of 
the large pieces. After a few moments, one of them 
approached the boys, and said : 

“Well, boys, do you ever find any pretty 
minerals ? ” 

“What’s that? ” asked Patrick. 


90 


BRAVE HEARTS WIN. 


“Why, pretty pieces of stone,” said the gentle- 
man. 

“ Oh yes,” replied Patrick, “ we does sometimes, 
but we jes’ toss ’em away, we don’t care nothin’ 
about them things.” 

“Well, now,” said the gentleman, “that is a 
pity. When there are so many pretty stones, it 
seems strange that you do not take a fancy to some 
of them, especially since you are here with them 
w T here you can see them, and get them every day. 
Why, we have left our offices, and have come all 
the way, about thirty-five miles that w T e may just 
get a few of the pretty things that you so carelessly 
throw aside.” 

“ What does ye’s do with em ? ” asked Michael, 
“ does ye’s sell them ? ” 

“ No,” answered the stranger. “We do not sell 
them, but we put them in cases behind glass doors, 
and try to see how many different kinds we can get, 
and then we keep them to look at, and show what 
beautiful things God has put in this great earth 
on which we live.” 

“I like to see pretty stones,” said Richard. 
“ Can you tell me, sir, what makes one stone white 
and another black? ” 

The stranger surprised at the earnestness of the 
question, answered: 


BRAVE HEARTS WIN. 


91 


“Well, my boy, I think I can tell you. There 
are certain things in nature called elements, and 
these, mixed in different proportions and different 
numbers, make up all the rocks in the world; 
sometimes a rock will have only one of these 
elements, and sometimes several of them. The 
color is owing to the make up of the rock. Now 
here is chrome, for instance, you see that it is black, 
and brittle, it is made up of chrome, and of iron, 
its right name is Chromate of Iron. And here 
is a white stone, that is made up of magnesia and 
water. Now you may notice that the difference 
between them is very great, but their nature is 
very different.” 

“ I should like to learn something about them,” 
said Richard, “ and if you please, sir, can you tell 
me about this one? ” 

As Richard said this, he handed to the gentle- 
man a beautiful cluster of crystals of Lancasterite, 
similar to the cluster he had given Mrs. Gordon. 
As he did so, the gentleman, looked at it in sur- 
prise, and then said to his companion : 

“Hollo! Charley, look here will you, here is a 
beautiful Lancasterite, beats Jefferis’ all round. — 
Why, boy,” he said, turning to Richard, “ I’ll give 
you five dollars for this, and tell you all about it 
too.” 


92 


BRAVE HEARTS WIN. 


Mr. Gordon now came along, and Richard 
obtained permission to spend some time with the 
gentlemen, and show them about the place. 

Sitting down on a heap of the waste rock, the 
gentleman took the Lancasterite, and asked Richard 
to tell him all the different features he saw in it. 

“ Well,” answered Richard, “it is white; it is in 
slender pieces; it is easily broken; and it is not 
very heavy.” 

“Yes,” replied the stranger, “I see you have 
observed its simplest characteristics. But now 
notice one of those slender pieces, — we call them 
crystals, — and tell me what its shape is. How 
many sides has it?” 

After looking at it carefully for a moment or 
two, a smile broke over Richard’s face as he said: 

“ Why, sir, it has six sides, and so have each of 
the others.” 

“Yes, you have answered correctly,” said the 
gentleman. “It has six sides. Now that mineral 
always crystalizes that way, and if you were to 
look at a thousand of them, you would find them 
all just the same, unless in their forming some- 
thing had interfered to press them out of shape. 

“But there are some things about it that you 
cannot see, of which I will tell you. This is made 
of three things, of magnesia, and carbonic acid, and 


BRAVE HEARTS WIN. 93 

water, and so we put it by itself as manifesting its 
characteristics in the three ways of color, composi- 
tion, and crystalization, and then sometimes because 
of its associations.” 

“And do you examine every stone that way?” 
said Richard. 

“Yes,” he answered, “every stone in just that 
way ; and then we classify them on the shelves, so 
that when we hear the name of a stone, we may 
know just what it is made of, and where it is 
found. 

“From this you may see that the study of 
minerals is a very useful study. In studying their 
colors we learn the principles of light, and become 
artists; in studying crystalization we require the 
use of mathematical formulas; in studying the 
composition we must employ the principles of 
chemistry; in studying their localities we become 
geographers; and in their names we are led to 
study the Latin and Greek languages, the principles 
of etymology, and oftentimes choice biographies. 
Thus the study of mineralogy stimulates one in 
almost every other department of learning.” 

“ Oh, how I wish I understood minerals,” said 
Richard, as a vision of knowing all these things 
flashed across his mind. “Won't you teach me, 
sir?” 


94 


BRAVE HEARTS WIN. 


“ I should like to do so,” replied the gentleman, 
" but I must go away very soon. However, I hope 
to come again next year, and then perhaps I can 
help you a little more. I will at present leave you 
a list of the different minerals found here, and a 
description of each one; and then next summer 
when I come, you may have some specimens of 
each kind ready for me. 

“ And please try and get me the best you can. 
Remember that a good specimen must be free from 
all fractures, and scratches, and from all marks of 
the hammer, and it should be kept from every other 
stone, so that there will be no likelihood of its 
being rubbed, and thus its finer crystals marred 
in their beauty. 

“ It may seem strange to you that after a rock 
has been blasted and hurled about, and dumped 
into a bucket, and then thrown on a great pile of 
other rocks, that anyone should suddenly take it up, 
and wrap it in cotton, or fine paper, and forbid 
others from touching it for fear of injuring it, but 
such is the case. When we see it, and it awakens 
our admiration, it has escaped injury, but is still 
likely at any time to be injured. We must not 
suppose because it has not been injured, that it 
cannot be. And remember that the only way to 
have a collection of beautiful things is to take care 


BRAVE HEARTS WIN. 95 

of all the beautiful things you can get in your pos- 
session. 

“ Now, my boy, do you think you will be able to 
remember the one-tenth of what I have told you ? ” 

“Yes, sir,” replied Richard. “I think I shall 
remember all of it. And, sir, you have made the 
world seem bigger to me than it was.” 

That evening Richard told Mrs. Gordon all 
about the visit of these gentlemen to the mine, and 
what they said to him, and she too caught his 
enthusiasm, and said she would help him to take 
good care of all the pretty things he might find. 
It was indeed a new inspiration in his work. Life 
had taken an immense step forward. The worth- 
less red and white and green stones did have a 
meaning, they did have a purpose in their existence, 
and they were worth something in the thought of 
the world. 

But another lesson dawned on Richard’s mind, as 
he thought of these things. Slowly it came, at first 
wrapped in swaddling bands of doubt and mystery, 
but it became clearer and more attractive, until 
his mind glowed with its light, and was nourished 
upon its sweetness. His ideal life grew so rapidly 
that he seemed to outgrow his material surround- 
ings, and dwell in a state of peculiar, incommuni- 
cable rapture. He began to feel the stirrings of 


96 


BRAVE HEARTS WIH. 


his intellect; it was moving into life. It hurled 
itself against its prison bars; it earnestly seized 
upon every new piece of information ; it cried out 
for more, and blessed every thing in nature, because 
every thing seemed to hold before it something 
of beauty, something to be desired. 

He did not have that heart-hunger which had 
made him feel so sad in the city. Here everything 
helped him. Nothing, except his own inability, 
hindered him, and he realized that as he grew 
his very inability would give place to conscious 
power. In the city he was trodden dowrn, here he 
rose superior to his surroundings, and he looked in 
amazement at the narrowness of the ideas of those 
with whom he was laboring. They worked to fill 
so many hours, to get so much money, to have 
bread and meat, and an occasional holiday. That 
seemed all. But Richard saw that there was some- 
thing more valuable than money. True, he needed 
that. If he had it, how it would help him ! But 
he wanted it only as a means to a higher end. The 
chrome might be of most value to those who owned 
the mine, but the beautiful things that displayed 
the skill of the divine handiwork w r ere more 
valuable to him. 

As autumn came on, and the prospect of stopping 
work for the winter drew T nigh, Richard began to 


BRAVE HEARTS WIN. 


97 


mark out his plans. He had saved all the money 
he had received, except a little spent for clothes, 
and the cost of his board. He had therefore quite 
a little store of it ; and now he was going to prepare 
for his winter schooling. But first of all he in- 
tended taking a short trip to Philadelphia, to 
restore the diamonds to the owner ; then he would 
be ready for his school. Along the main road, 
about a mile from the mine stood the district school 
house; hither during the winter months the boys 
and girls of the district gathered, and here Richard 
was to begin his studies. Mrs. Gordon was anxious 
for him to go ; for she too saw in the boy his yearn- 
ing ambition. 


G 


CHAPTER IX. 


THE CHUTE DISASTER. 

AN proposes, but God disposes, and thus 



Richard’s desires were to be, for this time 


at least, effectually overthrown. Several hundred 
feet down the main shaft of the mine, imbedded in 
the crevices of the chrome, a strange mineral was 
found. In color it was white, and glistening with 
sometimes a delicate pink hue, and also a faint 
green and yellow tinge. It appeared in various 
forms, sometimes like little scales, as thin and 
shining as the scales of a fish ; then in seams, the 
edges of which closely resembled the fringe of a 
satin ribbon ; then in little mounds of the shape of 
miniature roses, little rosettes; then in great large 
plates with a smooth sparkling surface; then 
in round lumps like boulders ; and again in 
crystals of a pearly lustre. Some of the pieces 
were very beautiful, and in some cases the black 
chrome would be partially covered with the single 
crystals of this unique mineral. 

When Richard saw it, he went to his list of 
minerals, and began comparing it with the de- 


98 


BRAVE HEARTS WIN . 


99 


scriptions. He carefully noticed its peculiarities, 
one by one, that he might make no mistake in 
giving it a name. It was soft ; it could be cut with 
a knife ; it was arranged in layers something like 
mica, but very much softer than mica ; and its 
crystal form was rhombohedral. 

“Ah, there it is,” said Richard to himself as he 
compared the mineral with the list. “Why, it is 
named Brucite, after a distinguished American 
mineralogist, and its composition is magnesia and 
water.” 

As Richard recalled the different forms in which 
magnesia appeared, as it mixed with other things, 
he wondered why it was that these possessed such a 
modifying influence over its structure. And water 
— what an active agent it was, how it seemed to 
penetrate everything and everywhere! No recesses 
of rock could bar it out ; no forms of nature could 
destroy it; and how wonderfully it transformed the 
minerals into which it entered ! How dull and 
unattractive this magnesia would have remained, 
if the water had not come in and transformed 
its nature! 

Richard thought of a hymn he had learned : 

Jesus the water of life will give 
Freely, Freely, Freely. 

“And so,” he said, talking to himself, “ we become 


100 


BRA VE HEARTS WIN. 


attractive when the water of life comes into our 
souls, and transforms us from our old dull selves 
into the beautiful creatures of light.” 

Richard had gone down into the mine to carry 
a message to Mr. Gordon, and was standing at the 
foot of the lowest ladder, by the side of the great 
chute that stretched from that place, down to the 
lower part of the mine. This chute was three 
hundred feet long, and six feet wide. It was made 
of boards placed lengthways, and these boards 
had been worn smooth by the rubbing of the 
barrels that were constantly passing up and down 
its surface. The chute was a steep incline, too 
steep for the workmen to attempt to use it as a 
way for travel, just steep enough to make the 
barrels move easily. 

Richard had delivered his message, and was 
admiring a handsome piece of Brucite which Mr. 
Gordon had just given him, when one of the 
workmen asked him to step aside a moment as he 
wished to carry something along that way. Think- 
ing only of the Brucite, and not of where he was, 
he stepped aside, and stumbled against the side of 
the chute, and before he could recover himself, 
or any one could grasp him, he fell on the smooth 
surface of the boards, and with terrific velocity 
slid down to the bottom of the mine. 


BRAVE HEART 8 WIN. 


101 


It all occurred so quickly that he was out of 
sight in the dark depths before those near him 
could comprehend the nature of the accident that 
had occurred. Mr. Gordon, however, quickly col- 
lected his thoughts, and followed by the men rushed 
down the slope fully expecting to find the boy a 
crushed and mangled mass at the bottom. When 
they arrived there with their lights, they saw the 
motionless body of the boy lying on the rocks. 
With pallid face and quivering voice, Mr. Gordon 
said to the men : 

“ Take your coats and make a stretcher, and we 
will at once carry him above. I fear the poor boy 
is done for in this world,” and the strong man could 
no longer repress the sobs. 

They gathered him up as tenderly as they could, 
and slowly began to climb the steps, and the ladders 
that led to the top. The news had spread rapidly 
above. One man had started for the doctor, an- 
other had informed Mrs. Gordon, and before they 
could bring him up, she had his room prepared to 
receive the body, but with deep anguish in her 
heart. 

When at last, after considerable trouble because 
of the narrowness of the ladders, they succeeded in 
bringing him to the surface, the women and chil- 
dren who had gathered from all the shanties, seeing 


102 


BRA VE HEARTS WIN. 


the awful whiteness of his face, and the blood on 
his hands and clothes, began to lament with long 
wailings, and expressions of pity for the poor lad. 

Mrs. Gordon, pale and silent, pressed to his side, 
and at once directed the men where to take him. 
As they passed toward the house, she noticed a 
quivering of his eyelids, and at the same moment a 
slight groan. 

“ Oh, husband,” she said, “ he is alive. Oh, do 
see if the doctor can be hurried,” and unable longer 
to control her feelings, she gave way to outbursts 
of grief. 

But it w r as soon over, and she was ready to 
attend to his wants. She had the men place him 
on his bed, and then she washed the blood, and the 
dirt from his face. When she had done so, she 
kissed the bloodless lips, and uttered the silent 
prayer that God would not let him die. 

The application of the water restored Richard to 
consciousness, and he groaned in deep pain. Mr. 
Gordon was about to wash his hands, but the 
slightest touch pained him so, that she deferred it 
until the doctor should arrive. When he at length 
came, he carefully examined the wounded lad, and 
while doing so received from Mr. Gordon an 
account of how it happened. After he had com- 
pleted the examination he said tenderly to Richard : 


BRAVE HEARTS WIN. 


103 


“My boy, it is not so bad after all as I had 
expected. It is surprising that you were not 
killed, and every bone in your body broken; but 
you are fortunate in having only one broken bone, 
and that will knit together very nicely in a few 
weeks ; but as it is your leg, you will have to stay 
in the house, and thus be prevented from trying the 
experiment over again, at least until next spring. 

“You don’t seem to be hurt internally, but we 
shall know more about that in a day or two. Your 
fingers seem to have fared the worst of all, you 
won’t be able to scratch for some time ; but in time 
they too will come all right; so keep up your 
courage. A boy that can take a slide like that, 
and live, must be under the watchcare of a higher 
power than mine.” 

The doctor bound up the fingers, set the broken 
limb, and giving him a quieting mixture, left him 
to go to sleep, and start on the road to recovery. 

Richard’s fingers were in a terrible condition. 
As he fell into the chute he tried to stop the fearful 
speed, but the smooth boards caught his finger- 
nails, and tore nearly all of them from their place. 
How it was that no more bones were broken, no 
one could surmise ; but it was with very thankful 
hearts that the family received the assurance from 
the doctor, that with care they need apprehend no 


104 


BRAVE HEARTH WIN. 


danger. He wa a a brave boy, and after awhile 
would be none the worse for it. 

When Richard was thus laid upon his bed, the 
trees were rapidly dropping their leaves, and 
already the chill blasts of winter were whistling 
through the unclothed branches. While he was 
lying there his work closed for the winter, and 
the men were busy only in the mine, blasting, and 
repairing, so that with the coming of spring the 
work might be more vigorously pushed than ever. 
The district school had begun, and the boys were 
all attending; and Eddie and Jamie were learning 
rapidly. But poor Richard could take no part in 
their many sports and plays at noon and recess 
and on their way to and from home. 

But poor Richard was not left to himself; for 
little Jennie, too young to go to school, became 
his constant companion, and by her tender, con- 
fiding, child-like affection, helped to interest him 
and smooth the weariness of his confinement. 
She was the cause of many a burst of happy 
laughter that broke forth from the sick boy’s lips. 
Violet’s Bible, too, he always kept with him, and 
Mr. Gordon constructed a little frame that would 
hold it, for he could not use his fingers for that 
purpose during the first weeks of his affliction. 
Thus he was enabled to read all he desired. He 


BRAVE HEARTS WIN. 


105 


was not sick; he felt as if he must get up and 
move about; but no, the broken limb kept him 
quiet, and that he did not dare disturb. He was 
almost entirely dependent upon those about him; 
but they loved to wait upon him, he was so patient, 
so good ; as Mrs. Gordon said : 

“ Surely no one could begrudge him any service. ,, 

But after all it was a grievous disappointment 
to Richard in many respects. His long cherished 
desire to return the jewels was frustrated, and 
when he became able to go about again, the 
summer-work would begin, so that it must be 
deferred a whole year. It was a disappointment 
too, because with the return of the jewels he had 
hoped to be able to see Violet again ; perhaps this 
time he would have the courage to speak to her. 
AVhat joy it would give him, if he could hand to 
her the beautiful cross! and besides this he had 
a very strong desire to go to school, with the 
other boys. 

One day when his mind seemed to dwell upon 
these things with more sadness than usual, Mrs. 
Gordon noticed the tears in his eyes, and in her 
sweet winning way soon drew from him the gloomy 
reflections he had been cherishing about his lack 
of school advantages. But she soon removed them, 
for she said that Eddie should teach him in the 


106 


BRAVE HEARTS WIN. 


evenings what he learned during the day. She 
also would help him, and thus he would probably 
be able to make almost as much progress as if he 
was in school. 

Little Mamie took a special delight in telling 
him of her school experiences. She felt a great 
regard for Richard; he was to her just like a 
brother; indeed to her he was more tender and 
devoted than were her own brothers. He always 
treated her with an air of gallantry, that led them 
to think a great deal of each other. Mamie had 
no girl-companions whom she desired for con- 
fidantes, so Richard became her chosen friend ; and 
when he told her of the charming Violet, Mamie 
seemed at once to comprehend the nature of his 
thoughts for that fair girl, and she helped him to 
recall and remember that which was associated 
with her. 

Mamie was very fond of romance. She did not 
read novels; she did not see any to read, but she 
thought that Richard and Violet would make 
an excellent romance. In hope to help on the 
romance, she urged him forward in his studies, so 
that he might sometime be fitted to stand by the 
noblest lady in the land. 

“ Oh, you are too kind,” said Richard one day as 
Mrs. Gordon was helping him to some new pleasure, 


BRAVE HEARTS WIJV. 10t 

“to think that you should do so much for me, 
when I can do nothing for you. How shall I ever 
be able to repay you?” 

“ By being a good boy,” replied his kind friend. 

It was hard for Mrs. Gordon to do all that she 
desired to do ; she kept no help, and had all the 
work to do for her large family ; but she was used 
to denying herself, and found so much delight in 
it, that it did not seem to be self-denial at all. Her 
love for it took away all the pain of the sacrifice, 
but left all the sweetness and completeness of it 
there. 

Richard did learn rapidly, and improved both in 
body and mind. At first it was difficult to see 
what good there could be in his suffering so much ; 
and in hours of darkness he would feel as if he had 
more than his share of the ills of life; but he 
quickly repented of the thought, and remembered 
that if the thorns did pierce the flesh, the grace of 
the Lord was with him enabling him to sustain the 
affliction. This realization of the presence of the 
Lord was so helpful, that it drove away the gloom, 
and led him to sing out his happy praises. 

The snows of winter came and covered the hills 
and the valleys ; the fierce winds swept down upon 
them from the north, and locked the streams and 
rills in an icy embrace; then again the warm gales 


108 


BRAVE EE ARTS WIN. 


came form the south, and the hill-sides were 
cleared, and the streams were unfettered ; the birds, 
the leaves, and the flowers came back to adorn the 
rejuvenated earth. 

When the spring came, Richard was able to go 
about with the others. His hands were well, his 
limb had securely knit, the forces of youth had 
asserted themselves, and already he was losing the 
signs of the accident. But he felt sure that he 
would never forget any of the circumstances con- 
nected with the accident. Mr. Gordon had play- 
fully brought him the piece of Brucite, which he 
said was the cause of it all, and Richard kept the 
mineral on a little shelf at the end of his room, so 
that it might be ever before him as a constant 
reminder of the fact. He recognized God’s hand 
in his wonderful preservation from death, and 
the question, “ Why did God save my life, so 
markedly, and mysteriously,” constantly came up 
in his mind. 

“ If God has saved my life,” he said to himself, 
“it must be for some good purpose; he has some 
work for me to do in the world. And if he thinks 
my life is worth saving, how much life ought to be 
to myself ! Perhaps this is a direct call from God 
to me to make the most of the life that he has 
spared.” 


BRAVE HEARTS WIN. 


109 


Then he thought that perhaps somebody was 
praying for him, and that in answer to those 
prayers God was protecting him. But, who could 
it be? No one knew him except the Gordons, and 
the missionary, and Mrs. Mullens, who probably 
never prayed in all her life. Perhaps it was his 
own dear mother. But who was she? Was she a 
praying woman? Wild as these thoughts seemed 
to be, they gave him great comfort; they brought 
a new sparkle into his eyes, and gave his voice a 
more cheerful ring. Whatever might be the cause, 
known or unknown, he determined to give his best 
thoughts and efforts to God, and try to live such a 
life, that if any were praying for him, they might 
one day see that he was growing up to be a useful 
and a just-dealing, God-fearing man. 

At length the day came when he once more 
donned his working suit, and took his place beneath 
the shed to separate the ore, and study the forms of 
nature. One day as he was breaking a piece of 
chrome, he noticed along the side a small fissure, 
which seemed to be lined with some strange form 
of mineral. Carefully breaking it open, he held in 
his hand one piece with the top surface covered 
with beautiful forms, these were delicate little bead- 
like drops of purest white. Along one edge of the 
stone was a line like a border, of deepest green 


110 


BRAVE HEARTS WIN. 


color, as sparkling and bright as glass, while the 
centre was covered with strange looking crystals, in 
piled-up heaps covering the greater part of the 
surface of the stone. These crystals were less than 
a quarter of an inch in length, and nearly the shape 
of a barrel, though a little more tapering towards 
the ends, but the color was of the most beautiful 
grass-green gradually deepening into blue. 

For a few seconds Richard gazed upon it in 
amazement, and then he carefully put it to one 
side, to take to the house when the day’s work was 
over, and after showing it to Mrs. Gordon, he put 
it away with his collection for the gentleman from 
West Chester. This once more stimulated his desire 
for searching into the beauties of stones, and he 
soon found another piece that interested him. He 
noticed that little seams lined with green pene- 
trated the chrome; one of these was filled with a 
kind of sediment, or wash, as if the color had been 
carried there by the water, and left as the water 
flowed away. Part of it was green, another part 
yellow, and these two colors graduated into each 
other. In other seams the green was in little 
mounds, built upon a base of stratified brown; 
these were very tiny and irregular. In some 
places the green was like a broken grassy sward, 
and in one place it seemed to be made up of tiny 


BRAVE HEARTS WIN. 


Ill 


crystals of Lancasterite all coated with deep green. 
But the handsomest of all w r as where it lay deep 
and thick in ridges, like the water in a stream 
when a strong wind is blowing against the current ; 
so in miniature the blown-up ridges of green cov- 
ered the chrome, the ridges translucent, and spark- 
ling as broken glass. As he took a piece of the 
latter kind in his hand, he was overcome with 
wonder. Formerly he had considered the white 
minerals as the most beautiful, but now he felt that 
for richness and variety the green was very much 
to be preferred. 

But as he looked for new forms, he saw a kind 
of stone that in long splinters, fine and sharp, 
covered the chrome. Sometimes these splinters 
were soft; sometimes hard; some were short; 
others, as long as his hand; some were white; 
some red; others green, gray, brown, or violet. 
Some held other minerals imbedded in them ; and 
one piece he found, which w T as tufted at one end 
with the most delicate little crested mounds of a 
pale dead green. What could this stranger be, so 
different from the other, so different from anything 
in the list which the gentleman had given him? 

He saw also a stone of a light buff color, in 
form like a honey -comb, with all the honey 
extracted. It was so brittle, that it would easily 


112 


BRAVE HEARTS WIH. 


crumble in the hand; so light, that its specific 
gravity was less than water ; so delicate, that it 
would dissolve if left for a little while in water ; 
yet so rare as to be seldom found except in small 
pieces. 

Thus he extended his observations, and as he 
did so, he felt his knowledge increase, and each 
increase told him something more of the wonderful 
forms of nature. Still he asked why these things 
were so. He knew that differences in their com- 
position caused the differences in appearance ; but 
he wished to know why there w r ere such differences 
in composition, and what the divine purpose in all 
these differences might be. 

One evening as he sat in the kitchen thinking 
of these things, little Jennie climbed up on his 
knee and putting her arms about his neck began 
to kiss him. He was at once aroused from his 
reverie, and he said to himself: 

“After all, they are but stones, they have no life, 
they cannot think or love ; they cannot remember 
the past or hope for the future; they have no 
souls; and with all their beauty, a million speci- 
mens of all the finest the earth can produce are 
not worth as much as is dear little Jennie. Yes, 
with her love and sweet kisses, she is better, far 
better than them all.” 


CHAPTER X. 

CRYSTAL CHANCES* 



AY after day the work went forward* and the 


I J chambers of the mine began to enlarge so 
that it resembled an immense underground home. 
Sometimes strange workmen would come to them, 
who were acquainted with other mines* and they 
would tell of the wonderful experiences through 
which they had passed. Coal mines* lead mines, 
zinc mines, iron mines, tin mines, all kinds of 
mines were spoken of, and Richard learned that 
this chrome mine, so deep and wonderful, was only 
one of many, and that each of these had its own 
peculiar wonders. He began to question the men 
as to the minerals they had seen in these various 
places, whether they were similar to those found 
here in the chrome mine or different. But the 
men had never thought of such things. Even if 
they had ever noticed them, they could only 
describe them in general terms. Fancy took the 
place of fact, and by the very wildness of their 
assertions he knew that all true memory of them 
had departed. 


H 


113 


114 


BRAVE HEARTS WIH. 


Richard found that his position under his shed 
was not the best for seeing, so he got to the other 
side of his anvil, in order that all the day long, 
he could face the road by which all strangers 
approached the mine. As the mining continued, 
many strangers came, but the most of them were 
not of the kind to notice the little working lad. 
Sometimes they would ask him for specimens, 
and then display a profound ignorance of their 
qualities. To such the various colors were accept- 
able, but Richard found in them nothing to learn. 

But one day he saw a York wagon coming down 
the road, and in it his friend from West Chester, the 
gentleman whom he had been expecting for so long 
a time. As he drove up, Richard left his anvil, and 
proceeded to attend to the horse, and then waited 
on the gentleman. Usually the visitors spent con- 
siderable time in looking about for specimens, but 
Richard had provided for that. He had saved up 
the handsomest specimens, better by far than the 
gentleman could find, and now all the time usually 
devoted to the search could be given to him. The 
gentleman was delighted with the progress that had 
been made. Only two of the desired minerals were 
wanting. Real good specimens of all the others 
had been found and were preserved in good order. 
What was still wanted was a crystal of chrysolite. 


BRAVE HEARTS WIN. 


115 


“ I am not surprised at you not having it,” said 
the gentleman, “for it is exceedingly rare. Pro- 
fessor Genth of the University of Pennsylvania has 
a piece of a crystal found here ; another gentleman 
has the other pieee of that same crystal. There 
may be other specimens, but this is the only one I 
really know to have been found here.” 

“What is its particular importance?” asked 
Richard. “ Is it very beautiful ? ” 

“ No,” he answered, “ it is not beautiful, it is very 
plain, and few would notice it, but it shows what 
the original form and structure of the great masses 
of serpentine were, and then it is a great curiosity 
in the study of the transformation of the rock 
masses of the earth. A subject of keenest interest 
to the true scientific investigator, but also a subject 
seldom reached by the amateur collectors.” 

Richard was not sure that he fully comprehended 
all this, but he laid the matter away, in the recesses 
of his mind, to con it over, so that at some time in 
the future he might be able to know it more fully. 
As the gentleman took up specimen after specimen, 
he called the lad’s attention to features that had 
escaped his observation, and thus revealed to him 
greater depths in each little cavity, than the eye 
had been able to penetrate, and though only seen 
now, none the less beautiful when they were care- 


116 


BRAVE HEARTS WIN. 


fully studied. After carefully wrapping them up, 
he gave Richard in return a reward, and such a 
one as overwhelmed him with delight. Sometimes, 
in order to secure the favor of the workmen, stran- 
gers would give them tobacco, cigars, a new pipe, 
or some other article adapted to the gratification 
of their appetite. But Richard’s reward was of a 
different kind. It was a good sized bundle, almost 
as large as the package of minerals, though not 
nearly so heavy, but when it was opened then came 
the delight. The gentleman had remembered the 
strange yearning of the lad for knowledge, so he 
had brought a package of books, containing Dana’s 
Geology, Dana’s Mineralogy, Ruskin’s “ Ethics of 
the Dust,” Winchell’s “ Sketches of Creation,” and 
“ My Schools and Schoolmasters,” by Hugh Miller. 

Richard knew nothing about them ; he had never 
heard of them; but as the gentleman strongly re- 
commended them, he was ready to credit what he 
said. He could learn their meaning, and perhaps 
by the time the gentleman came the next year, he 
might be able to tell him of their mysterious con- 
tents. The gentleman then gave him some advice 
as to the best way to study them, and then started 
for his home. When Richard went to the house, 
he was jubilant, and did not seek to restrain his 
joy before the family. 



Brave Hearts Win 


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BRAVE HEARTS WIN. 


117 


“See,” he said, “isn’t this glorious? Just think 
of these great large books. Won’t I have a splen- 
did time in the evenings?” 

They all enjoyed his enthusiasm, though Jennie 
was disappointed in not seeing pictures in them all, 
but the pictures of the fossils even to her were 
amusing and interesting. Mamie leaned over the 
back of Richard’s chair, and quaintly asked : 

“ And, sir wise man, are you going to study them 
all alone?” 

As he looked into her roguish eyes, he slipped his 
arm about her waist and replied : 

“No, indeed, I shall hope my wise sister will 
study them with me.” And again they smiled at 
each other. 

While they were planning, Mr. Gordon had 
taken up the Geology, and was looking at the 
pictures. They were interesting to him, even as 
they are interesting to every one who is pleased 
with the curious or the unusual. He did not cease 
until he had looked all through the book, and then 
he took up the mineralogy. 

Mamie was pleased with the various minerals 
Richard brought to the house, but she had never 
become enthusiastic on the subject. She admired 
them partly because he admired them, and partly 
because of her possessing a keen sense of the 


118 


BRAVE HEARTS WIN. 


beautiful. She had read of diamonds, pearls, 
rubies, amethysts, sapphires, and opals, yet had 
never seen any of them, but from the descriptions 
she had read, knew that they must be very attrac- 
tive and beautiful. 

One evening as she and Richard were looking 
over the books, she saw a section in “Ethics of 
the Dust,” which so pleased her that she called 
the attention of the others to it. It was this: 

“ Exclusive of animal decay, we can hardly 
arrive at a more absolute type of impurity, than 
the mud or slime of a damp, over-trodden path, in 
the outskirts of a manufacturing town. I do not 
say mud of the road, because that is mixed with 
animal refuse; but take merely an ounce or two 
of the blackest slime of a beaten foot-path, on a 
rainy day, near a manufacturing town. That slime 
we shall find in most cases composed of clay — or 
brick dust, w r hich is burnt clay — mixed with soot, 
a little sand, and water. All these elements are at 
helpless war with each other, and destroy recipro- 
cally each other’s nature and power: competing 
and fighting for place at every tread of your foot ; 
sand squeezing out clay, and clay squeezing out 
water, and soot meddling everywhere, and defiling 
the whole. Let us suppose that this ounce of mud 
is left in perfect rest, and that its elements gather 


BRAVE HEARTS WIH. 


119 


together, like to like, so that their atoms may get 
into the closest relations possible. 

“Let the clay begin. Ridding itself of all 
foreign substance, it gradually becomes a white 
earth, already very beautiful, and fit, with help of 
congealing fire, to be made into finest porcelain, 
and painted on, and be kept in kings’ palaces. But 
such artificial consistence is not its best. Leave it 
still quiet, to follow its own instincts of unity, and it 
becomes, not only white, but clear; not only clear, 
but hard ; not only clear and hard, but so set that 
it can deal with light in a wonderful way, and 
gather out of it the loveliest blue rays only, refusing 
the rest. We call it then a sapphire. 

“ Such being the consummation of the clay, we 
give similar permission of quiet to the sand. It 
also becomes, first, a white earth ; then proceeds to 
grow clear and hard, and at last arranges itself in 
mysterious, infinitely fine parallel lines, which have 
the power of reflecting, not merely the blue rays, 
but the blue, green, purple, and red rays, in the 
greatest beauty in which they can be seen through 
any hard material whatsoever. We call it then 
an opal. 

“In next order the soot begins to work. It 
cannot make itself white at first; but, instead of 
being discouraged, tries harder and harder; and 


120 


BRAVE HEARTS WIN. 


comes out clear at last, and the hardest thing in 
the world; and for the blackness that it had, 
obtains in exchange the power of reflecting all the 
rays of the sun at once, in the vividest blaze that 
any solid thing can shoot. We call it then a 
diamond. 

“Last of all, the water purifies, or unites itself; 
contented enough if it only reach the form of a 
dewdrop; but, if we insist on its proceeding to a 
more perfect consistence, it crystallizes into the 
shape of a star, and, for the ounce of slime which 
we had by political economy of competition, we 
have, by political economy of co-operation, a sap- 
phire, an opal, and a diamond, set in the midst of a 
star of snow.” 

“ But listen,” said Mamie, “ here is some more.” 

“ The seeming trouble, the unquestionable degra- 
dation, of the elements of the physical earth, must 
passively wait the appointed time of their repose, 
or their restoration.” As Mamie read, Mrs. Gordon 
ceased her sewing, and with undivided attention 
listened to the words of the great art teacher, and 
as the reading closed, she said : 

“That is what I call beautiful. I have never 
heard anything in regard to stones more attractively 
described. What a lover of such things the author 
of that must be.” 


BRAVE HEARTS WIN. 


121 


“I want to look at things in just the same way 
that he does,” said Richard, “ for he looks at them 
so as to see all there is in them. But who would 
ever have thought there was so much in an ounce 
of mud.” 

“ What kind of mud is it ? ” asked Eddie. 

“It is the kind of mud out in our path to the 
post-office, down near the old forge in the hollow, 
that nasty, sticky kind that is so hard to clean 
from our shoes when we get in it.” 

“And is it full of diamonds and sapphires?” 
said Jamie, as with his eyes wide opened he gazed 
inquiringly in Richard’s face. 

“ Perhaps it is,” he replied ; “ I can’t say.” 

“ But,” said Mamie, “ while we cannot see them 
there, we may know that they are great possibilities, 
that lie hidden there. And if God wanted to, he 
could without a miracle make diamonds and opals 
and sapphires out of the mud.” 

“ But it would be just as strange as a miracle,” 
said Eddie, “and nearly everybody would call it 
a miracle.” 

“That’s because they don’t know what power 
God has placed in these things,” said Mr. Gordon. 
“If they only knew what is in nature, and the 
secret of nature’s workings, how its work is done, 
and why it is done, they would not exclaim, ‘a 


122 


BRAVE HEARTS WIN. 


miracle, a miracle/ at every strange event, but 
would confess their ignorance and give all the 
glory to God.” 

“Well,” said Richard, “I think the forming of 
some of the minerals we find here in the chrome is 
just as marvellous; and if we study these that we 
see about us, we shall grow in admiration of the 
wonderful things of God, for he has scattered them 
everywhere.” 

“Ethics of the Dust” became a great help to 
Richard in unfolding truths concerning nature, and 
he read it again and again. The story of the life 
of Hugh Miller fascinated him, and in the working 
of his natural taste, he thought he perceived a 
close resemblance. The example of Miller helped 
him ; the success of Miller inspired him with hope ; 
and he continued at his work feeling more and 
more the charm of steady progression in his knowl- 
edge of the truth. He began to notice minor 
peculiarities and unessential features, slight changes 
not spoken of in the books, yet all interesting as 
peculiar to certain conditions. He found crystals 
pressed out of shape, yet showing the essential 
structure ; minerals twisted and broken, and mixed 
up in confused mass, yet full of interest, because 
of their very difficulties in growth. 

Richard often thought of these things and 


BRAVE HEARTS WIN. 


123 


wondered if it was so with people. Would a 
man in whatever circumstances he might be placed, 
persist in showing forth the essential features of 
his own peculiar character? He had heard Mr. 
Gordon say: 

“An Irishman is an Irishman all the world over.” 
But why an Irishman? Probably it was so with 
other men also. Then he wondered what his own 
nature might be, and how he might be able to pre- 
serve its true form in all circumstances. Glancing 
over the past, he felt the same yearnings that he 
had felt in the city. In this he had not changed. 
His mind had developed, his taste improved, his 
conditions were altogether different, but he felt that 
he w T as the same in nature. But what was to be 
the result? Was he to be diamond, sapphire, opal, 
or snow? His earnest prayer was, “O Lord, what- 
ever I may be, may I become pure and undefiled, 
and shine in thy crown a perfect being.” 


CHAPTER XI. 

BENEATH THE WATERS. 

1HE second summer of Richard’s stay at the 



chrome mine was drawing to a close, and 


again he began to plan for the coming winter. He 
had fully recovered from his terrible accident of 
the previous autumn, and the work in the open air 
and the fresh food he ate had made quite a change 
in his appearance. He was now fourteen years of 
age, and tall for his years. His continual devotion 
to hard study had so developed his mental faculties, 
that he stood beyond the other lads in ability, and 
was generally recognized as their leader. He main- 
tained familiarity with them, though he was careful 
never to disregard the voice of his conscience, and 
won their hearty regard, by his frequently joining 
with them in their innocent fireside sports and 
games. 

He was a good singer, and having capital powers 
of imitation, coupled with a retentive memory, he 
would sometimes reproduce the popular songs that 
he had learned when he roamed the streets of the 
city as a half-starved gamin. These songs were the 


124 


BRAVE HEARTS WIN. 125 

delight of the neighborhood ; they seemed precisely 
to fit the temper and the taste of the miners. 
Sometimes the mimicry was laid aside, and in 
sweet, tender tones, with subdued feeling, and 
thankful heart, he would sing to them the songs of 
Zion, the songs he dearly loved. By his comic 
songs he roused them to tumultuous laughter, but 
by his sacred songs he subdued their souls. 

Whenever in his peculiar touching way he sung, 
“ Sowing the Seed,” the spell of revelry w T as broken, 
and tender feeling took its place. 

The children were jubilant in thinking that this 
winter they would have Richard for their school- 
mate, unless, as Jennie said, “he shoots himself 
down the mine again.” But Richard had no inten- 
tion of doing that, one attempt was sufficient, and 
he looked forward to the beginning of the school 
term just as anxiously as did the others. 

The summer had been quite dry, and the springs 
and streams were very low, and Mr. Gordon often 
looked troubled, for he said : 

“ Winter will not set in until the springs are full ; 
and it is getting so late that the storm season will 
be severe and disastrous.” 

When, at last, the storms did begin, it was ‘ust as 
he predicted, and the boys were often driven from 
their work by the fierce blasts of rain, that deluged 


126 


BRAVE HEARTS WIN. 


the place. Mr. Gordon now frequently came to his 
meals with an apprehensive fear marked on his 
countenance, and the miners began to whisper that 
he saw signs of danger menacing them, in the 
depths of the mine. Some of the older and more 
experienced miners noticed a change in the atmos- 
phere, and in the water that flowed in the mine. 
Mr. Gordon said it was caused by the severe rains, 
but perhaps all would yet be right. But the rains 
continued, severe and often, and the signs of danger 
multiplied. As these signs were w T ay down in the 
depths of the deep pit, those who worked nearer the 
surface paid but little attention to them, and the 
others ceased to fear them, and continued regularly 
at their work. Mr. Gordon was too experienced a 
miner to feel perfectly safe, so he daily inspected the 
mine, and took careful observations of everything 
that appeared in the least degree unusual. But the 
day came when the doubt was cast aside. The 
men were working as usual, when one of them 
stopped his work and listened at some sound he 
heard, and then said to his companion: 

“ Jack, do yez notice the water there ? ” 

“Yes,” replied Jack, “an’ sure an’ it’s a risin’, 
an’ what does that mean, maybe the pump is broke, 
and the wheel is stopped.” 

They both listened attentively. But no, the 


BRAVE HE A RTS . WIN. 127 

pump was forcing up the water at its regular rate, 
yet the water in the mine was rising. 

“ I tell ye what,” said Jack, “ ’tis meself that’s a 
thinkin’ we had better be gettin’ out of this, Pat, or 
we’ll be among the missin’.” . 

“Sure an’ I’ve been thinkin’ the same for some 
time,” answered Pat, “ so let’s get our tools and go 
above.” 

They quickly gathered their tools and ascended 
to the top of the chute, where they met Mr. Gordon, 
who was there superintending another gang of 
workmen. 

“What is the matter?” he asked, as they came 
to him. 

“ The water is risin’,” said Pat, “ an’ we came to 
call yez to look at it, fur it’s a roarin’ as if it 
meant great mischief.” 

Mr. Gordon now went down with them, and to 
their astonishment the water was already covering 
the place where they had been working, and was 
still quickly rising. The pumps were forced to do 
their utmost, but still upward the water rose, and 
it looked as if the mine would soon be filled. 

Richard was at his place working under the shed 
with the other boys, when the men came up out of 
the mine bringing their tools with them. To his 
inquiry as to the cause of it, Pat replied : 


128 


BRAVE HEARTS WIN . 


“Sure lads, an’ the underground rivers have 
broken loose, and they are pourin’ into the mine, 
and if they don’t soon stop the whole mine will be 
full of water.” 

Richard at once thought of his diamonds. 

“Oh, Pat?” he said, “how high is the water 
now; is it as high as the big breast?” 

“ Sure an’ it is, and it covers it entirely ; and it 
will soon be at the top of the chute. An’ if it 
don’t soon stop, there’ll be no more work for us to 
do here, that’s a fact now,” answered Pat. 

As the news spread, many came from the cabins 
to hear about it, and before Pat could finish telling 
about it, quite an excited crowd had gathered about 
him, who asked him to tell it all over again. 
Richard left his anvil, and started to go down the 
mine. He thought there might yet be time to get 
his treasures, but Pat standing by' the ladder 
prevented him. 

“ No, no, lad,” he said, “ Mr. Gordon told me not 
to let any one come down, an’ much as I’d like to 
plase ye, I can’t let ye go, it’s dangersome, as ye’d 
get in the way, or may-be ye’d want to go swim- 
ming in the chute, an’ then I’d be blamed for it.” 

Richard pleaded that Mr. Gordon wouldn’t mind 
his going down, and he would come right up again, 
but Pat answered : 


BRAVE HEARTS WIN. 


129 


“An’ do ye think he wouldn’t mind yez being 
there? Sure an’ ye’s the very one of all that he 
don’t want down there ; fur he said to me, ‘ Now, 
Pat, be sure yez don’t let any one down, and most 
of all the lad Richie ; fur he’s a scamp fur investi- 
gating things, an’ he would be sure to get in 
danger. So mind ye now, that ye kapes him 
above.’ So now lad be contented, and stay where 
yez are.” 

Richard was compelled to stay above, and wait 
until further news could be obtained. The women 
were in great alarm. Most of them had lived all 
their lives about mines, and they knew that the 
water rising in the mines sometimes completely 
destroyed them, and if not so bad as that, generally 
stopped the work for many months. Now winter 
was coming on, and to be without work, was to be 
short with the bread. 

It was late in the day when Mr. Gordon and the 
men came up, wearied with the hard work they 
had been doing in trying to save the machinery 
of the mine, but his words were words of cheer. 
He said : 

“ I think the water is now as high as it will get, 
and it may fall a little. If that is the case, to- 
morrow we will all go to work in the upper cham- 
ber to the right.” 

I 


130 


BRAVE HEARTS WIN. 


With relieved hearts the people went to their 
houses, the women to get supper for the wearied 
men, and the men to prepare for it, for they were 
hungry and tired, and in just the right condition to 
enjoy it heartily. 

As Mr. Gordon walked toward the house, Richard 
grasped his hand, and eagerly asked : 

“ How high is the water ? To what point in the 
mine does it come?” 

“Well, Richard,” said Mr. Gordon, “I suppose 
the water is about five hundred feet deep. It 
comes all the way up to the foot of the ladders ; it 
covers the place where you fell into the chute ; and 
is about ten feet above the top of the haunted 
chamber. But it will undoubtedly fall some before 
morning, and in a few weeks it may fall consider- 
ably, unless the heavy rains should continue.” 

“ Oh, sir,” said Richard, as with pale face and 
tear-filled eyes he looked into Mr. Gordon’s face, 
“ do you think we shall ever get into the haunted 
chamber again?” 

Mr. Gordon remembered the delight with which 
Richard had obtained the Lancasterite, and natu- 
rally supposing the lad’s anxiety was on account of 
that, replied : 

“Oh, yes, sometime. The water will not be 
likely to lower that far just now, but there is too 


BRAVE HEARTS WIN. 


131 


much good ore below that to be left there, and if 
the water doesn’t fall of itself, some day it will be 
forced out by extra pumps, for we must have that 
ore.” 

There was comfort in this, but Richard learned 
that 

The best laid schemes of mice and men 
Gang aft a-gley. 

The next day, an examination was made, and 
it was found that the water had fallen quite a 
distance, but had reached its permanent level, 
though to Richard’s disappointment it was yet 
several feet above the haunted chamber. 

“Ah,” he said to himself, “ I shall not be able to 
return the cross this winter, and I had so much 
hoped to do so ; and no one can tell when I shall be 
able. But I am glad they are Safe, eveti from the 
water; I am so glad that I covered the box with 
pitch and oiled cloth.” 

The flooding of the mine took from the boys 
their work, as the mixed pieces could not be 
brought up in sufficient quantities to keep them at 
work. So now they could start to the district 
school. Richard’s name was soon enrolled along 
with those of Eddie, James, and Mamie. 

It was only a few days previous to this disaster 
that Richard found a mineral different from any 


132 


BRAVE HEARTS WIN . 


he had before seen, and it proved to be the one 
described in the list his West Chester friend had 
given him, which with the chrysolite, he had not 
been able to obtain. It was in six-sided prisms, and 
of the most beautiful violet color. It was arranged 
in layers and was sparkling in the freshness of its 
coloring. He had seen shades of violet before in 
some of the little seams, but this surpassed them all. 
As he looked at it, in its beauty, so small and so 
delicate, and only the one piece, his thoughts flew 
back to the time when a poor little neglected boot- 
black, he saw a beautiful maiden whose name was 
Violet, the thought of whom, since that time, had 
been the sunshine of his life, and he freely con- 
fessed to his own heart, that his greatest disappoint- 
ment was in not being able to go where he might 
catch another glimpse of her sweet face. 

When Richard entered the district school he at 
once began to win the good-will of teacher and 
scholars. It was only a plain country school- 
building. The desks were made of pine boards — 
unpainted; the little furniture of the school was 
such as generally was found when the directors 
thought more of a few cents in taxes than of the 
children’s growing minds; the scholars were of 
different ages, ranging from five years up to twenty ; 
the room was crowded; and the teacher found 


BRAVE HEARTS WIN. 


133 


considerable difficulty in grading them, as they 
represented all degrees of intelligence. 

The natural surmise was that Richard was like 
the most of the boys from the mine, rather inferior 
to the farmers’ boys in ability; hence the teacher 
was disposed to place him with those smaller than 
himself. But when the examination began, she 
soon discovered that he was superior to them, and 
that he might safely be placed in the highest class. 
She also saw that he was thorough, that what he 
learned, he learned well. Hence she took a special 
interest in him, and thus encouraged him in his 
ambition. 

Richard thus learned that a diligent student 
finds a careful teacher; and that the more one 
helps himself, the more inclined the people about 
him are to help him. 

On the playground he was just as lively as any 
of them ; and during recess, v r hen the great snows 
came and covered the ground, he was often chosen 
captain of the party to either hold or take the 
snow fort, wffiich was constructed in the school- 
yard. 

When the gales of. spring drove away the icy 
cold of winter, and the school closed, Richard 
returned to his work at the mine. Sometimes 
friends would say to him : 


134 


BRAVE HEARTS WIH. 


“ Why don’t you go to town and get work there ? 
You might make a clerk some day.” 

“ I don’t want to be a clerk,” he would answer. 
“ I haven’t learned all there is to learn here yet.” 

He knew something of the bustle and the 
struggle in the towns; he had fed upon the dry 
winds of the city, where all was hurry and rush, 
but here he could think, here he found time for 
reflection. During the summer he studied nature 
and the books the gentleman from West Chester 
had brought him, and he sometimes borrowed books 
from the neighbors. He also subscribed for a 
weekly newspaper published in the city, and began 
to study that. Thus he spent his time growing and 
developing until he had been five years at the mine. 

The water in the mine had never fallen; the 
works were partially suspended; no one could 
predict when the water would be pumped out ; Mr. 
Gordon was about to move from the place; and 
Bichard was about to leave his home and friends 
to seek his fortune in some more public place. 


CHAPTER XII. 


BRIGHTER PROSPECTS. 

O NE week more, and they would be gone. 

Before going Richard dressed himself in his 
best suit, and walked two miles to visit the lady 
who for three years had been his careful and en- 
couraging teacher. She had been recently married, 
and was living on a beautiful farm which her hus- 
band had purchased. 

Richard looked upon her as, next to the Gordons, 
his best friend ; and truly she was. He found her 
at home, and delighted to welcome him as her 
guest. He told her of the changes that were taking 
place in his associations, and of his intention to 
seek an advanced education somewhere, and he had 
come to say “good-bye.” But she said : 

“ Richard, how would you like to continue your 
studies under a wise professor, the teacher who gave 
the finishing touches to my education?” 

“ Ah,” he replied, “ I should delight in that, but 
I am afraid that I cannot get the chance. I am 
not well enough off in finances to secure such a 
privilege.” 


135 


136 


BRAVE HEARTS WIN. 


“I think you can have that privilege,” she an- 
swered. “ You are not afraid to work, nor are you 
foolishly sensitive about it ; and if you will remain 
with us to-night, we shall be very glad, and to- 
morrow morning we will drive over to Fern Hill, 
and see what chance there is. May we consider 
that you accept the invitation?” 

“ I will gladly,” he replied. “ I have nothing to 
do at home, and this may possibly be my last 
opportunity to visit you.” 

Eichard had often wished for just such a visit, 
and now was delighted to tell his friend of his 
hopes and his desires regarding the future. He 
did not know just what he should be, but he had 
determined to become an educated man, and thus 
be ready to enter upon anything that the Lord 
would open before him. 

The following morning they started for the 
popular school called Fern Hill. It was only a 
few miles distant, and as the road was compara- 
tively level, it was soon reached. 

Fern Hill w r as the name of the residence of 
Professor Anthony. It was a large school building 
attached to a large dwelling-house, and known as 
the best high school in all that country. This 
school was established for the purpose of supple- 
menting the instruction given in the public schools. 


BRAVE HEARTS WIN. 


137 


and one feature of the pride of the educated class 
roundabout was to say, that their education was 
completed at Fern Hill. It was sometimes called 
an aristocratic school, because its students were 
mainly gathered from the dwellings of the wealthy, 
and those who appreciated intellectual advantages. 
Hence its patrons were found among the progres- 
sive and leading people of the adjoining townships. 

Professor Anthony was an enthusiastic educator, 
and his keenest delight was to lead the youths of 
both sexes to seek a higher education. He had no 
set curriculum, and no compulsion as to the limit of 
studies to be pursued, each one could choose what 
he wanted to study. Sometimes he gave pupils 
advice in regard to it, but when they made their 
choice, he expected that they would move forward 
only so fast as they could with thoroughness ; for he 
held, as a vital principle, that if a thing was worth 
knowing at all, it was worth knowing well ; and the 
distinction he coveted was to be considered as a 
thorough instructor. He often remarked, that a 
boy who was careless in the rudiments would be 
hampered all his life because of that defect. 

He sought, therefore, to inspire his students with 
a desire to be thorough and persevering in their 
efforts to become useful workers in life. But the 
professor was an invalid. For many years he had 


138 


BRAVE HEARTS WIN. 


been unable to use any of his limbs save his left 
arm. But this left arm he could use with consider- 
able vigor. In the various rooms where he spent 
his time, he had easy chairs, and a special chair for 
moving about. So helpless w T as he physically that 
he required an attendant to propel him from place 
to place, and minister to his wants. He was accus- 
tomed to give this position to some worthy young 
man seeking an education, who thus while helping 
another might himself be helped. The school 
was not a boarding school, although by special 
privilege two or three of the scholars were allowed 
to board in the same family with the principal. 
The school room held desks for forty persons ; they 
were always full, and the limited number added to 
its reputation for selectness. 

Richard and his kind friend Mrs. Davis, were 
cordially received by the professor, who cherished a 
feeling of friendship for all who had been under 
his instruction. And when she informed him that 
she had brought Mr. Mullens to apply for the posi- 
tion, which she had been informed was vacant, he 
even the more appreciated her kindness in coming 
to see him. He replied: 

“Yes, my present aid leaves me in a few days, 
and I shall want some qualified person to take his 
place, and you know what qualifications I look for.” 


BRAVE HEARTS WIN. 


Then turning to Richard, he asked, “And, sir, why 
do you wish to be thus employed ? It is no pleasant 
task to help an infirm, cross-grained man, worn out 
with the cares of teaching, to move about wherever 
he may desire to go.” 

Richard felt somewhat embarrassed at this 
pointed and unexpected question, but he was ready 
to plead his cause, so he answered : 

“ It is because I want an education, and I would 
rather stay in this part of the country for a while 
longer. I must do something to pay my way, or 
else I shall not be able to obtain what I want.” 

“ Have you no friends who would be willing to 
meet your expenses so as to enable you to pass 
through college?” asked the professor. 

“No, sir, I have not,” he replied. “My friends 
are all as poor as myself.” 

The professor now examined him in regard to 
his attainments, in order to see if he was capable 
of entering his school, and to his surprise found 
that he was really a good and thorough scholar. 

“Well,” he said, turning to Mrs. Davis, “I see, 
Lizzie, you have trained him well, and as you so 
strongly recommend him, and as I like his looks, I 
will at once engage him, and shall be glad if he will 
come as soon as he can make his arrangements.” 

After taking dinner with the professor, and 


140 


BRAVE HEARTS WIN. 


meeting the other members of the family, they 
drove back to Mrs. Davis’ home. On reaching 
that place, Richard thanked her again for her 
kindness, and started for the mine. 

In the bustle that accompanied the breaking up, 
little Jennie thought that Richard had left them, 
but was greatly delighted when he returned to tell 
of his unexpected good fortune. Jennie was now 
eight years of age, and Richard was her ideal of a 
noble man. He was her knight, and to him she 
confided all her secrets, her trials and her joys. 
The older ones were as real brothers and sisters, 
and now it seemed that the family was being 
broken up. They rejoiced as he told them of his 
encouraging prospects, and he expressed his delight 
by saying to Mrs. Gordon: “Now I shall hope to 
become an educated man, won’t that be glorious?” 

“Ah, that it will,” she replied; ‘‘and for your 
sake I am glad. I have many times thanked the 
Lord that he led you to us ; and to-day, as I see the 
way is opening more and more for you, I thank 
him the more; and, Richard, my dear boy, for I 
shall still call you mine, I am thankful that you 
love the Lord Jesus. Never forget that you owe 
everything to him, and may it please him to lead 
you iii his service, that you may ever witness for 
him, and lead others to him.” 


BRAVE HEARTS WIN. 


141 


“And I owe much to your kind motherly care,” 
said Richard. “You took me in when a stranger, 
without father or mother, and made me as one of 
your own children. You have nursed me in sick- 
ness, and cared for me in health. You have taught 
me in my ignorance, and encouraged me all along 
my pathway, and now as I leave you, I feel that I 
am going away from the only home I have ever 
had ; but we will keep within reach of each other, 
and I hope we shall often meet again.” 

Soon the last evening came; the next morning 
the Gordons were going to the railroad, and 
Richard to his school. Once more with Mr. 
Gordon he w r ent through the mine. The water was 
still above the haunted chamber; but Mr. Gordon 
said that if it continued to settle, in a year or two 
he might return and get all the Lancasterite he 
wanted. Once more they passed up the ladder and 
went into the house. 

Before retiring, for the last time they met around 
the family altar, and, with hearts deeply stirred, 
poured out before the mercy seat of God their 
desire for protection and every spiritual good. 

Mr. Gordon had purchased a farm in the fertile 
Chester Valley, and was now going to take posses- 
sion of his property. He had become, quite tired 
of the surroundings of the underground workings, 


142 


BRAVE HEARTS WIN. 


and lie saw that his children were of an age to 
require advantages such they could not get at the 
chrome mines. He also desired that his wife might 
have the privilege of more congenial company, for 
she had become quite weary of that same, ceaseless 
drudging round of life. 

While they lived at the mine they had greatly 
missed their church privileges, and in selecting their 
future home, Mr. Gordon had chosen a place not 
far from the church, so that they might be able to 
attend regularly the public worship of God and the 
preaching of the gospel. He and his wife were 
desirous that, in this formation period of their lives, 
their children might have about them the influences 
of Christian example and Christian society. 

When they reached their new home, Mrs. Gordon 
was delighted with the place. And they all thought 
that in a short time they would be able to make it 
quite attractive. The house was situated on the top 
of a little knoll, in the midst of a grove of fine old 
maples. It was an old fashioned country mansion 
with wide doors and wide windows, with open fire- 
places, and high, curiously carved mantels. It 
was somewhat out of repair, but could soon be put 
in order, and the family had the whole winter 
before them to fit it up. 

Mary was delighted when she found that there 


BRAVE HEARTS WIN. 


143 


were quite a number of girls of her age and size in 
the neighborhood, who would make for her most 
excellent company. To Mrs. Gordon it was coming 
back to society after a long vacation, but for Mary 
it was an introduction into a new sphere. To her, 
society was as yet unknown. But when they went 
into the church on the hill, the church of the same 
faith and order as themselves, Mrs. Gordon felt as 
if it was one of the greatest privileges of her life. 

Near the chrome mines a church stood which 
they had regularly attended, but it was not their 
own church, it could not be a home to them. Now 
they were made to feel that they were really at 
home. As they were returning from church the 
first Sunday after their arrival, Mrs. Gordon said 
to her husband : 

“Husband, the welcome we received to-day has 
done my soul good. How kind and considerate 
they were. A number came to speak to me. They 
hoped we would like our place, and promised to 
soon call upon us, and wanted us to call upon them 
for anything we might need in getting started. 
The minister didn’t wait to be introduced, but 
came right to me, and said he hoped he should 
often see me in the Lord’s house.” 

The children, too, were loudly praising the 
friends they had met. The Sunday-school was 


144 


BRAVE HEARTS WIN. 


very pleasant, and the singing was as good as any 
they had ever heard. 

“But none of them sang as good as Richie,” 
pleaded Jennie for her knight, to which Mary 
replied : 

“You know, Jennie, that our Richie is an ex- 
ceptionally good singer.” 

The whole family had been trained to work. 
They did not now shrink from it, and every stroke 
led them nearer to the accomplishment of their 
desire, a comfortable and beautiful home. 

And Richard — after the final good-byes had 
been spoken, and little Jennie had received the 
last kiss, he sadly turned back to the house, to 
place his trunk in the wagon that was to carry 
him to Fern Hill. 

At last all was ready, he got in the wagon by 
the side of the driver, and in a fe*w hours was 
at Fern Hill. The session of the school was to 
begin in about a week, and he desired to become 
well acquainted with all his duties before the 
scholars should arrive. When he was shown to 
his room, and he was once more left alone, he 
bowed his head, and fervently thanked God for 
this latest token of his divine providence. 


CHAPTER XIII. 

WAVES OF TROUBLE. 

V IOLET MONTGOMERY sat in her boudoir, 
thinking of the past. It had been just five 
years since that eventful day, when the diamond 
cross was stolen from her fair neck, and these years 
were witnesses to a wonderful development in her 
mind and body. During these years she had been 
beloved by her watchful parent, with a deep and 
tender love. But Violet had never been spoiled. 
Her father had fully realized the necessity of strict 
training, and he had trained her with the greatest 
care, as a precious loan from the Lord, and in the 
fear of the Lord. For five years Violet had been 
under the instruction of the best teachers, and now 
she was an accomplished girl. Though only fifteen 
years of age, she had wasted no time, and to judge 
from the richness of her conversation, or the round- 
ness of her form, one w T ould have thought she was 
much older. 

Now she sat thinking of the happiness of her 
life and of the great world about her, the world of 

shades and shadows, the Christless world. Some- 
th 145 


146 


BRAVE HEARTS WIH. 


times she thought of the little boy to whom she had 
given her Bible, and she wondered why he never 
came again; but the thought of him was only one 
of the stray strings fastened to the past. She had 
really forgotten every line of his face, and only 
remembered that he was very dirty and ragged, and 
had large hungry eyes. Then she thought of 
Aunt Phoebe’s friend, Mrs. Morris, who had called 
that very day ; she heard her tell, for possibly the 
fiftieth time, the story of her lost child, whom she 
yearned for so much, and prayed for every day, 
and believed that she should some day meet again. 

Violet thought of that poor boy torn from his 
mother’s embrace, and possibly kept in the lowest 
associations, raised in ignorance and vice, and she 
said to herself : 

“How I should like to see him restored to his 
fond mother ; but if he is a bad, sinful man, trained 
in vice, how much better that the loving mother 
should never have proof of it; for that would be 
worse than the present painful suspense.” 

Then Violet turned from these things to thinking 
about her father. He had seemed to be so greatly 
changed. He came home late, he was absent- 
minded, he seemed to have lost his former cheer- 
fulness, although he was just as gentle and kind 
to her as he had ever been. When she had asked 


BRAVE HEARTS WIN. 


147 


him if she might have a birthday party to cele- 
brate her fifteenth birthday, he had answered: 

“ Not this time, darling. Papa would rather you 
should let it pass quietly now.” 

When the day came, he had not given her costly 
presents as had been his custom, but in their stead a 
beautiful picture of himself; and as she now looked 
at it, it made her very happy. She kissed it, and 
said to herself : 

“Oh, this is better than jewels, better than rubies; 
it is the likeness of dear, dear papa.” 

That evening, when he came into the house, she 
threw her arms about his neck, and returning the 
kisses he gave her, she said: 

“Papa darling, you look so tired this evening, I 
wish I could help you so that you wouldn’t be so 
worn out. But you are not ill, are you, dear 
papa?” she continued, seeing a look of pain cross 
his face. 

“ No, pet,” he answered, “ I am not ill, only very, 
very weary.” 

After supper was over, Mr. Montgomery sat down 
in his great easy chair, and as was his custom took 
Violet on his lap, to talk with her about the inci- 
dents of the day. 

“ My darling,” he said, “ I have something to tell ' 
you that will be very hard to utter, and I shall 


148 


BRAVE HEARTS WIN. 


want to feel your help given me, while I tell it. 
Papa is in trouble, and has been hoping for some 
time that the clouds would brighten, but they have 
not.” 

Mr. Montgomery’s breath became quick and 
short, as he sought to tell her of his troubles. 

“ Yi, darling,” he said, “ you know that your papa 
is a business man, and that his house is one of the 
oldest in the city. Well, dear, you have seen in 
the papers lately, that quite a number of business 
houses have failed. Some of these were closely 
connected with my house, and by their failures they 
very greatly crippled me, but to-day the climax of 
disaster came. I shall not be able to meet my notes 
due to-morrow. My credit will go down, I have 
failed, and at present cannot possibly recover.” 

As these words passed his lips, he sobbed aloud, 
and Violet realizing something of its meaning, with 
her arms still clinging about his neck, sobbed with 
him. 

“Oh, papa,” she said, “is that what has been 
troubling you? I do not wonder at your anxiety. 
It is too bad ; but, papa, don’t despair, there may 
be some way out of the trouble. Perhaps your 
business friends can help you, you have often 
helped many of them, and they surely won’t desert 
you now.” 


BRAVE HEARTS WIN. 149 

“No, darling/ - he replied, “they are willing to 
do what they can, but just now that is equivalent 
to nothing. There is a wave of trouble sweeping 
over the country, and no one knows how he may 
be able to stand it. I should not have failed had 
not the others dragged me down. So it must all 
go, the store, our home here, which has been made 
so beautiful. Yes, darling, if we wish to be fair 
and honest toward our fellowmen, it must all go.” 

“Papa, let it all go,” said Violet bravely; “we 
have each other, we can stand it. Yes, dear papa, 
let it all go.” 

“ Bless God for my helpful daughter,” said Mr. 
Montgomery. “My dear child you have lifted a 
weighty burden from my heart. I dreaded this 
news, fearing its effect upon you; but you have 
helped me and made me stronger. What a bless- 
ing you are to me, my darling, darling daughter ! ” 

“I am glad you told me,” Violet replied. “I 
should not have been able to bear it if any other 
person had told me, but now, papa, it is all right, 
and we will look to the Lord to help us in this 
great trouble.” 

The next day, it was known all over the city, 
that this old business house had fallen beneath the 
burden upon it. It caused surprise, then pity, then 
the wheels of business rolled on as before, and il 


150 


BRAVE HEARTS WIN. 


was forgotten by the great public, and only remem- 
bered by those who were specially interested, either 
financially or personally, in the proprietor. 

But now what w 7 as to be done '? The dark clouds 
were heavily hanging over business men, and all 
were alarmed. He could not now enter into busi- 
ness again, but he trusted in God. 

His assets were thrown on the market; his 
store and building, his residence, his furniture, — 
all were brought into requisition, and dollar was 
paid for dollar. 

In one way his personal friends aided him, they 
purchased his family heirlooms, his furniture and 
library, and gave him a good price for them, with 
the understanding that at any time within five 
years he could have them back for the same 
amount w T hich they had paid him for them. Mrs. 
Morris purchased the piano, and then kindly said 
to Violet : 

“My dear child, you may keep it just as long as 
you desire, and use it just the same as if you still 
owmed it, but I will own it, so that no one can 
deprive you of it.” 

Violet was deeply touched by this kindness, and 
accepted the gift w T ith the determination to make 
it pay for itself some time in the future. Mr. 
Montgomery was now offered a subordinate position 


BRAVE HEARTS WIN. 


151 


in another business house, which he accepted. The 
salary was sufficient for him to live with comfort, 
and he accordingly selected a small house in West 
Philadelphia, and plainly furnishing it, began life 
again, as he said, “at the bottom of the ladder.” 

To Violet this was a very great change, and Mr. 
Montgomery was fearful of the effect upon her, but 
she bore up very bravely ; she knew her father was 
struggling, and she willingly denied herself neces- 
sary things, so that she might help him as far as 
possible in this season of trial and adversity. 

When papa came home in the evening, weary 
and sad — for he could not drive the thought of his 
troubles from his mind — she always met him as 
before, and caressed him just as fondly. His love 
to her was just as tender, and by her own true love 
she broke down his sadness, she lifted the weight of 
his weariness, and he blessed God for his precious 
daughter. 


CHAPTER XIV. 

VIOLET’S EXPERIMENT AND SUCCESS. 

I T was not possible for Violet to remain inactive 
with her talents, while her father was plodding 
through the cares of business to provide for her 
comfort. She thought that she ought to try and 
minister to his needs. There were many things he 
wanted which now seemed to be beyond their reach. 
How to obtain some of these without burdening 
him, was a question that perplexed her mind. 
After long considering the matter, she thought of 
trying to teach what she had so carefully learned 
from the best masters. They had pronounced her 
proficient in German, French, drawing, and music. 
Perhaps some of her former friends, knowing how 
she had been trained, might allow her to train 
their children. 

One day with this thought in her mind, she 
visited some of the houses wdiere she had previously 
been a welcome guest, but now her reception was 
very different. They were kind to her, but the 
old tone of cordial good feeling was gone. She 

was made to feel that intimacy now between them 
152 


BRAVE HEARTS W1H. 


153 


and the daughter of a bankrupt merchant could 
not possibly be thought of; and besides, their 
children were already under the instruction of 
those who had great experience in training the 
young. Violet felt severely the change in the 
manner of several toward her, and her tender 
nature received such a shock that she was almost 
disposed to make no further effort. But she rallied 
her courage and went to the residence of her 
friend, Mrs. Morris. With some inward trembling 
she rang the bell, for she thought, perhaps she, 
too, might turn from her, and give her a chilling 
reception. Mrs. Morris was different from many 
of her class. She loved Violet tenderly; she 
recognized the nobility of her nature, and with 
kisses and embraces welcomed her to her house. 
There was no intimation of a difference, but just 
as formerly she chatted with her about her hopes 
and joys, her griefs and troubles. Mrs. Morris 
approved her desire to earn money for herself. 

“Yes, my dear girl,” she said, “I do most 
heartily approve of your plans, and I am sure you 
will succeed. Others have succeeded, and so will 
you. Why just think, I heard the story the other 
day of a German, who in his fatherland was con- 
scripted in the army, and served in Germany, then 
in Turkey, and then in Algeria, from there he 


154 


BRAVE HEARTS WIN. 


escaped and came to America. Here he was 
engaged in obtaining recruits for some filibustering 
expedition, but when it failed, he found employ- 
ment as a barber in a common barber-shop. One 
day a college professor came into the shop, and 
while awaiting his turn to be served, saw a Greek 
book lying on the window-sill, and while the barber 
was attending to him, he talked to him about the 
book, when, to his surprise, he found that the 
barber knew more about Greek than he did. Well, 
to make a long story short, he got the man a situa- 
tion as a teacher in an academy, then as a tutor in 
a college, and at last he became a distinguished 
professor of the Greek language. Now, Violet 
dear, your career may not be as romantic as that; 
but practically you may succeed beyond your 
present anticipations.” 

“ How good of you to encourage me,” said Violet. 
“I was so discouraged and ready to cry with dis- 
appointment; but you have cheered me so that I 
shall not hesitate, but will at once make a bold 
effort, and hope, as you say, to succeed.” 

“And, Violet, let me advise you,” continued Mrs. 
Morris, “ to go to strangers, those living near you 
in West Philadelphia. You will probably be saved 
from many petty slights and vexations. You can 
go to them merely as a matter of business, and they 


BRAVE HEARTS WIN. 


155 


will look upon it in a business light. You will 
probably be able attract more than you desire. 
And do not limit yourself to any one branch, for 
you are capable of teaching several. Let me see, I 
think that you can safely take up instrumental 
music, and vocalization, English literature, French, 
and German. Of course, you will at first aim to 
teach only beginners, and as they develop under 
your teaching, you can advance, and always 
keep before them in your own attainments. In 
that way, my dear, you will not only be earning 
money, but will be still further educating yourself, 
and will be the better prepared for whatever posi- 
tion in life you may in the future be called upon 
to enter. I really feel like congratulating you 
on your brilliant prospects.” 

With a cheerful heart Violet returned to her 
home; her step was elastic, her eye sparkling, 
her voice full of song as she entered the house, and 
meeting her aunt she said : 

“Oh, auntie, I feel so much encouraged, Mrs. 
Morris has told me just what to do, and I really 
believe now that I shall succeed splendidly. Won’t 
papa be pleased when he hears of my success? 
But, auntie, don’t let us say anything to him about 
it at present ; not until it is all established ; then we 
will tell him and he will rejoice with us.” 


156 


BRAVE HEARTS WIH. 


The next day Violet prepared her circular. It 
was very short, only to the effect that, Miss Violet 
Montgomery is now prepared to receive scholars in 
music, vocal or instrumental, German, French, or 
English literature. With a number of these 
circulars, and her pretty face and ways, she started 
out in search of scholars. 

As she entered the parlors of the various houses, 
her pleasant smile, and fair fresh face at once dis- 
armed opposition, and many mothers felt glad that 
they could send their children to a teacher, so 
much of a lady as she appeared to be. It was 
not long, therefore, until Violet had secured as 
many as she could attend to. 

The next day her scholars came to her home, 
and the hours for their lessons were arranged. Most 
of them desired instruction in music, and the tiny 
fingers looked rather delicate as they stretched to 
cover an octave on the piano. Violet reinbered 
her own experience in her younger days, and she 
showed herself very patient with the little scholars, 
and it required such patience. There were very 
many things to be learned, and they needed to be 
trained to careful work and patient study. 

Violet learned to love these children. Every 
day she discovered some new attractive features. 
They were affectionate and confiding, and she 


BRAVE HEARTS WIJST. 


157 


obtained their confidence so that they came to her 
with all their little trials and sorrows, and somehow, 
she always managed to comfort them. The parents 
rejoiced in the progress their little daughters were 
making, and by the beginning of the second 
quarter, she was compelled, for want of time to 
refuse many who applied to her. 

Violet was now proving one of the most de- 
lightful experiences of life, and the duties she 
had voluntarily taken upon herself, so absorbed 
her thoughts, that she forgot the painful change in 
their affairs, and even gloried in the advantages 
her poverty gave her. 

Thus Violet went contentedly on with her work 
until Christmas drew near. Mr. Montgomery had 
not heard Violet express a wish for any special 
things lately, and as the holiday came on, he hardly 
knew what she might desire for a present; but at 
length he chanced to remember how greatly she 
had been attached to one of the family je/wels that 
was sold. This he purchased again, and on Christ- 
mas morning, with a smile, he placed it in her 
hand. Violet was delighted. Nothing could have 
pleased her more than that, and the thoughtfulness 
he displayed was a new cause for her to be proud 
of his dear love. Of course, he did not look for 
much of a present from her, for he had not given 


158 


BRAVE HEARTS WIN. 


her much money lately, hence he was truly sur- 
prised when he received as his gift, not some little 
piece of fancy work, but a handsome gold watch 
and chain. As he took it in his hand, he knew it 
well, he had carried it for many years, and possibly 
nothing that he gave up for honor’s sake had cost 
him so much effort. And now to receive it back 
so unexpectedly, was a great surprise. For a 
few moments he could not speak, but clasped Violet 
to his heart, while happy tears filled his eyes. 

Then came out the whole story of Violet’s 
struggles, of the disappointments that at first 
threatened defeat, of the real, true, kind friend, 
who was so wise a counsellor, and of the abundant 
success that was at last gained. As she told her 
father, both became calmer, and her voice gathered 
strength with the thought of her victory. Mr. 
Montgomery was proud of her, he felt more than 
ever the real strength and nobility of her character. 


CHAPTER XV. 


MISSIONARY WORK. 

W HEN Mrs. Morris entered the depraved 
alley where Mrs. Mullens lived, she saw 
a phase of life very astonishing and horrifying. 
Her feelings were touched by the thought that per- 
haps there were other children, like her own lost 
boy, who were taken out of homes where virtue 
and love dwelt, to live in these abodes of vice and 
wretchedness. After returning to her home, she 
sat down in her boudoir, and began to think over 
the awful state of humanity. She had heard re- 
turned missionaries tell of the depravity and 
wretchedness of the heathen, but here she saw, 
actually saw with her own eyes a state of social life 
at least as low as any described in the narratives of 
missionaries, and this too in her own city, and no 
farther away from the city’s centre than was her 
own home. 

Then she thought of the churches, of the reli- 
gious institutions, of the industrial schools, of the 
reformatory schools, and all the other means of 

good that were employed. She thought of her own 

159 


160 


BRAVE HEARTS WIN. 


church. They had a splendid edifice; every Sun- 
day crowds of strangers came to it, and admired it ; 
the minister was popular, preached excellent ser- 
mons, and constantly exhorted them to be faithful 
to the teachings of the word of God, but, after 
all, the church seemed to be a social set, and the 
money that was given was largely for their own 
advantage. True, they gave something for missions, 
yet, here was a call for Christian effort, and Chris- 
tian giving, to their own neighbors, close to their 
own door. Then she thought of the Great Teacher 
who delighted in saying, “ To the poor the gospel is 
preached,” and how he went among the poor and 
needy, leading a Mary and a Bartimeus out of the 
bondage of sin into freedom. He came not to call 
the righteous, but sinners to repentance, and she 
queried, if Jesus were here, whether he would seek 
first the better portions of the city, tfr if he would 
not bear his message to those whose special degrada- 
tion made the loudest call for his help. 

As she thought on this subject she felt a special 
interest for the young growing up in the midst of 
ungodliness and vice. 

“These boys,” she said to herself, “are often 
very quick-witted, they make adept thieves, bold 
burglars, keen forgers, and skillful counterfeiters. 
If educated properly, why should they not make 


BRAVE HEARTS WIN. 


161 


intelligent Christian men, and grow up to do good ? 
When the whole world was lost in the darkness of 
sin God sent his Son to die for sinful men ; and we 
as God’s witnesses should surely make some effort 
to get the gospel to them.” 

As the weeks rapidly passed away, and no tidings 
came of her lost boy, she thought the more of this 
duty that was set so plainly before her. She felt 
that the possibility of his being somewhere with 
such people was a call upon her that she dared not 
disregard. She must go to work and do what she 
could for their salvation. 

Mrs. Morris sought the city missionary, in order 
to converse with him upon this subject and to learn 
something of his methods of working. He asked 
her if she w y ould have the courage to survey the 
field, to go with him on a visiting tour, such as he 
daily made. He assured her that with him she 
would be perfectly safe, but said she should leave 
all jewelry at home, and dress in common clothing. 
He could not promise that they would refrain from 
stealing from her, if they saw anything to steal. 

She very willingly consented, and came one day 
to the Mission House, clothed in plain garments, 
and ready to enter upon the tour of inspection 
under his protection. It was a bold undertaking, 

but she trusted in God, and felt happy in under- 
L 


162 


BRAVE HEARTS WIN. 


taking a service for him, which seemed to be 
demanded of her. 

Leaving the Mission House they passed many a 
haunt of sin and saw many evidences of its sad 
work. At length she was led into a small, dark 
room in a rear court, where a woman almost gone 
from this world of sin and shame was lying on a 
bed; w T ith gladness in her feeble tones she blessed 
the missionary for calling, for he had taught her to 
love Jesus. As she said to Mrs. Morris: 

“ Once I was just as bad as any that you see in 
these courts, but the good Lord sent sickness upon 
me; and then when I could not help it, the mis- 
sionary came, and read the Bible to me; and 
when I listened, for his voice was soft and tender 
like, I found what a great sinner I had been, and 
what a blessed Saviour offered himself for me. 
When I called upon him, he saved tne; with his 
own precious blood he saved me ; and I never knew 
what happiness was until I found a Saviour. But, 
ma’am, just think of the condition of the people 
about here. Most of them have never known any- 
thing better ; they have been brought up to lie, and 
swear, and steal, and fight, and they don’t know 
any better. But if Jesus would only come, as the 
blessed angels in white said he would come, then 
this old vile place would be changed.” 


BRAVE HEARTS WIN. 


163 


After praying with her, they passed on. In 
another place, just before they entered it, the 
missionary said to her: 

“ Now don’t get frightened at what you see, or at 
the scowls of the people ; but kept perfectly quiet, 
and do as I bid you.” 

They then passed through a small entrance into 
an enclosed yard, then into a building which pre- 
sented on the outside a number of doors. At one 
of these they knockod, and after waiting a few 
moments, a woman came shuffling along. Seeing 
the missionary she smiled, and was about to admit 
him, but hesitated seeing the stranger with him, but 
when he said to her : “ It is all right, you can trust 
her, I will bear the responsibility,” she admitted 
them. They passed through a long hall, with 
rooms on either side, and at length stopped before 
the door of one of these and gave a peculiar rap. 
At this, the door was opened, and they went in. 
On a bed, near the window, a man was lying, upon 
whose face was an expression of agony. He 
seemed to be in great pain. Yet anger, as well as 
pain, was manifested in his look. 

“How are you now, Harry?” said the missionary. 

“Ah, sir, I’m in a sorry plight. They’ve took 
my leg off, sir.” 

“Well, my lad,” said the missionary, “this does 


164 


BRAVE HEARTS WIN . 


indeed seem bad for you, and I am sorry for you, 
and I hope that it may be the means of saving your 
soul, for to lose that is far worse than to lose one 
limb or all of your limbs. The good book says, 
* The way of transgressors is hard/ and you know 
that if you had heeded, that book, this would never 
have happened.” 

Then after a few more words to the afflicted man, 
and a prayer for him, they departed. The mission- 
ary now told her that he had taken her into the 
hiding-place of a gang of desperate thieves and 
burglars, and that the man whom they saw on the 
bed, had been wounded recently in an encounter 
in a house he was robbing, and, although brought 
away safely by his companions, they were forced 
to amputate his leg to save his life. 

“But,” continued the missionary, “that is not 
the end of it. The man will die; and I shall not 
be surprised if I find him dead to-morrow.” 

They now visited a lodging - house. Of course, 
it looked very different in day time from what it 
did at night, but it was bad enough. There were 
several large rooms, each one containing several 
beds. The rooms were filthy and the smell was 
sickening. It was in such places that the tramps, 
beggars, and worthless wretches spent the night. 

Mrs. Morris now said that she had seen enough, 


BRAVE HEARTS WIN. 165 

so they returned to the mission-house. On arriving 
there they sat for a few moments, full of thought. 
Then the missionary said : 

“Mrs. Morris, you have just seen the class of 
people who live here, in the bondage of all that 
is low and vile. Seeing this, do you think it 
possible to do them any good, or to your mind, 
are they past redemption?” 

“Why, yes indeed I do,” she replied. “You 
have already done them good. See that poor 
woman saved for the Lord’s kingdom through 
your instrumentality, and I suppose you often have 
cases similar to that.” 

“Sometimes I have thrilling displays of the 
mercy of the Lord,” he answered; “but it is a 
slow work, and the results seem to be small. They 
don’t come in crow T ds, as in the up-town churches; 
and we cannot train them, for the people here are 
very unsettled. When one is converted, he gets 
away from this place as soon as he can. It is 
in the school for the little ones, that we have 
established, that w T e hope to accomplish a telling 
w r ork ; for if we can only succeed in planting seeds 
of truth in the young hearts, there will be a 
foundation to build upon after a while; but, with 
many of the older ones, there seems to be no capa- 
city for moral or spiritual distinctions. 


166 


BRAVE HEARTS )VIH. 


“What a hard road it is for men who have 
grown up in vice to travel back to the nature of 
little children. Yet, here, as well as with cultured 
people, we see the truth of our Saviour’s words: 
* Except ye become as a little child, ye cannot enter 
the kingdom of God.’ Just think of the immense 
distance between these people and innocent chil- 
dren; yet, possibly the most of them have been 
told that they were religious. The Roman Catholic 
priest has christened nearly all of them ; and it is 
amazing to see how they cling to that. Many of 
them make it their only ground of comfort, and 
seem surprised when I tell them it availeth them 
nothing. Sometimes I find them with softened 
hearts ; then they receive the word of life gladly, 
but it is very seldom they are in that frame of 
mind while in health. It is when prostrated with 
sickness that they yearn for a kind word or a 
gentle touch, that they are willing to listen. Ah, 
there is nothing like want and suffering to bring 
them down to a listening condition. And when 
they are in deep want they appreciate kindness; 
they remember it afterwards; and in a thousand 
ways will manifest their gratitude. These people 
have a streak of kindness in their hearts, and in 
their way are generous. I am convinced that they 
are not beyond the power of the gospel to save.” 


CHAPTER XYI. 

THE BIBLE READER. 



INCE the day when first they met, Mrs. Morris 


O had taken a great interest in Mrs. Mullens, 
who since she was left alone, felt very much the 
changes of life. She was lonely, and the sense of 
her loneliness oppressed her, so that she began to 
think over the life record she had made, and was 
still making. She had often noticed the difference 
between Mary and Dicky in the temper they mani- 
fested in their daily life, and she wondered what 
made Dicky so different from Mary? She thought 
that the missionary had cast a spell over the lad, 
but when she saw Mrs. Morris, and was convinced 
that she was the boy’s mother, she saw the secret of 
the boy’s nature, she saw the resemblance in the 
features, and before long, she also noticed it in 
actions; for with all the perverse influences of his 
surroundings, he had never lost his mother’s ways. 

Mrs. Morris often sent for Mrs. Mullens to come 
to her house, and tell her about the lost child ; and, 
as she listened to the story again and again from 
the hard, coarse woman, she wept mingled tears of 


167 


168 


BRAVE HEARTS WLX. 


joy and sorrow. Mrs. Mullens felt her own heart 
soften toward the gentle lady, and she tried to 
recall the incidents in the boy’s life, that would 
comfort his mother. When she said she never 
could understand why Dicky was good, or could 
be good in his associations, Mrs. Morris replied : 

“I think I can tell you. It was because God 
was caring for him, and God could hold his hand 
in your home as well as in any other place. Why, 
Mrs. Mullens,” she said, “from the time I lost my 
darling little boy until this present time, I have 
never passed night or morning without praying for 
him. I could not forget him; I cannot think he 
is dead; and am sure I shall yet see him; some 
day he will come to me, and I shall fold my arms 
about him, and press him to my heart. I have also 
prayed that God would keep him out of evil, and 
make him a virtuous and honorable man ; and he 
will do so, for God hears and answers prayer. You 
see, that all this time God was keeping him, be- 
cause my prayers were prevailing before him. 
Yes, Mrs. Mullens, my boy did not become bad, 
because the dear Lord had mercy upon my poor 
bleeding, prayerful heart.” 

For a long time Mrs. Mullens pondered these 
words, but she could hardly understand them. 
She asked Mrs. Morris to tell her more about God, 


BRAVE HE A B 18 WIH. 


and about this praying to God. She sat on a foot- 
stool, by the side of the gentle lady’s chair, while 
she read to her out of the book some of the sweet 
promises of God. And as she read, the woman’s 
heart became very tender, for she felt the power of 
the word of God. She learned to believe that the 
Lord Jesus really did live, and that he loved 
sinners with a great love, and she wondered why 
she had never come to know this before. It all 
seemed new and strange, and she must think it all 
over again. At length she began to think that 
Jesus loved her too, and it gave her heart a thrill 
of delight ; she felt as if her old ways were desert- 
ing her, and as she w T ent back to her home, thi3 
lightness of her heart continued, and she felt that 
Jesus was near to her. 

But when she again stood behind the counter, 
and the beggars came in, she saw, as she had 
never before seen so fully, the degradation of their 
w r ork, of their tastes, and of their desires, and she 
began to realize that she was one of them. How 
utterly sinful she felt; how unworthy of the least 
of God’s blessings! Her memory ran back over 
the whole history of her life ; conscience uttered its 
severe condemnation ; she saw that she had not 
been content with doing evil continually herself, 
but she had also hired others to do evil for her. 


170 


BRAVE HEARTS WIN. 


Yes it all passed before her until she could bear 
the sight no longer, and she sat down on the floor, 
and covering her face with her hands, cried aloud 
to God, the God she had hated and blasphemed, to 
be merciful to her, though she had known no 
mercy to those under her power. All night long 
she wept and cried in the bitterness of her anguish, 
until the morning’s light darting into the window, 
roused her to attend to the duties of the day. 

As soon as she had disposed of the necessary 
duties of the morning, she put on her bonnet and 
shawl, and started for Broad Street. She knew no 
one who cared for her, or would listen to her, 
except the sweet lady who was kind to her for 
Dicky’s sake. To her she would go; perhaps she 
would do her good. 

Mrs. Morris was surprised at the change in the 
woman’s appearance : she looked emaciated ; great 
dark rings were about her eyes; her cheek bones 
seemed to stand out ; and her voice was quivering 
and unnatural. When she began to speak, the sobs 
came, and it was some time before she could express 
her feelings ; at length she said : “ Oh, ma’am, my 
sins! my sins! they are more than I can bear. 
Oh, what shall I do? What shall I do? Please 
give me a comforting word or I shall die. Oh, ’tis 
awful to have one’s sins stare one in the face ; and 


BRAVE HEARTS WIN. 


171 


since last evening, all I’ve ever done has come up 
to me, and condemned me. Oh, ma’am, tell me, tell 
me a good word if there is one for the likes of me.” 

Mrs. Morris felt that here was the true opening 
of her mission work, and she prayed the Lord to 
grant her this poor soul. She took the woman’s 
hand, and pressed it between her own, she spoke to 
her in gentle soothing tones, telling her of Jesus 
the mighty to save, of Jesus whose blood cieanseth 
from all sin, and of his willingness even now to 
save her. She told her what the Scripture says, 
“ If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to 
forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all 
unrighteousness,” and urged her to take God at 
his word. Then she got her to kneel down and 
make her prayer to God. She told her what words 
to say, and, as a patient mother teaches her little 
child to pray, so did Mrs. Morris teach the poor, 
sinful woman that had come to her. 

Mrs. Mullens did confess her sin, and sought for- 
giveness and cleansing, and even as she bowed 
before God, the words came into her mind, “ him 
that cometh to me I will in bo wise cast out,” and 
she felt comforted. 

After she arose, Mrs. Morris gave her a small 
Bible with marked passages to read, and while she 
read, a sense of God’s goodness to her came over 


172 


BRAVE HEARTS WIN. 


her, and she could not help saying, “Our Father.” 
Yes, God was her Father. Father of all mercies 
and God of all comforts. She looked at the past, 
and still saw it all, and was amazed at its great 
sinfulness; and at the grace of God that could 
forgive such sins. She could only say, “ It is God’s 
long suffering that has seen me through, and now 
he has saved me.” 

When Mrs. Mullens returned to her home every- 
thing seemed very different from what it did in the 
morning; and she also presented a very different 
appearance to those about her. The change in her 
was wonderful to them, and her miserable sur- 
roundings soon manifested the evidences of this 
change. She was perplexed to know what to do 
with her business. It now became a burden on her 
hands. All the poor miserable creatures that had 
long been stealing for her, must do so no more. 
To their dismay, she called them all together, and 
told them of her change of heart; that she had 
learned that she had been doing wickedly, and that 
she ought not to do it, and that the good Lord had 
spoken to her, and forgiven her sins. 

“And now,” she continued, “I must stop this 
business. I dare not longer offend God, and I 
want you all to follow me in this, to do right, to 
love God, and to be honest. Now that’s what I am 


BRAVE HEARTS WIN. 


173 


going to try to do, and you are just as good as I 
have been, and if the Lord has heard me, the chief 
of sinners, he will surely hear you too when you 
call on him. So come now and serve him.” 

But the most of them did not like that kind of 
talk, they were not used to it. Some swore at her, 
while many of them grumbled about being cast off 
into the world. Then they went off, some to engage 
with another Function Shop, and some to do for 
themselves. But one little blind child, the son of 
an organ-grinder, came up to her, and said : 

“ Mrs. Mullens, I want to put my fingers on your 
face and see you,” — for that was the way the little 
child saw, — “you talked so good, just like Dicky 
used to talk to me; I was always afraid of you, 
but if you talk that way, I am sure you won’t 
hurt me.” 

As the trusting child came to her, Mrs. Mullens 
put out her strong arm and pressing him to her 
heart, said: 

“ Hurt you ? No, indeed, that I will not, but 
you shall live with me, and take the place of 
Dicky, and you shall be my little comforter, as he 
w T ould be, if he were here ; and I will read to you, 
and teach you all about the blessed Saviour.” 

The boy no longer hesitated, but clung to her, 
and if he could have seen her eyes, he would have 


174 


BRAVE HEARTS WIN. 


noticed the tears starting, as her hungry heart 
grasped at this morsel to feed it. 

Mrs. Morris now took a new interest in her, and 
at once began training her in the use of the Bible. 
She gave her a Teacher’s Bible, with index, con- 
cordance, maps, and tables, and showed her how to 
use it, and how to find any passage quickly, bearing 
on any subject she might desire. Mrs. Mullens 
was quick at taking up anything, and she was 
quite a good reader. Long practice with thieves 
had made her keen, and now she brought the same 
keenness to bear on her study of the Bible, and in 
a very short time became proficient in finding 
chosen passages. Then Mrs. Morris, for a salary, 
engaged her to go from house to house, in order to 
read the Bible to all who would be willing to listen. 

Nothing could have delighted Mrs. Mullens more 
than this. She was well adapted to it; she was 
fearless ; many a time she had defiantly faced the 
worst men in that wicked region. But now, in the 
name of the Prince of Peace, with a subdued spirit 
she was ready to go among them, and do what she 
could to lead them into the ways of life everlasting. 
As she went from house to house talking with them, 
reading the word to them, praying for them, to 
many the bondage of sin began to appear very 
irksome. To all these, in a friendly way she talked 


BRAVE HEARTS WIN. 


175 


of Christ and his great salvation, and tried to turn 
their thoughts upward to God, who waiteth to hear 
the cry, though feeble it may be, of the poorest 
sinner. As she thus used the Bible, it became very 
precious to her own soul, and it afforded her many 
glimpses of the world beyond. Her own home be- 
came the brightest in the place; for the filth and 
confusion of sin was taken away, the cleanliness 
and sobriety of peace was established within, and to 
strangers it was pointed out as the Bible Beader’s 
home. 


CHAPTER XVII. 

THE COMMERCIAL TRAVELLER. 


S the days began to lengthen, and the balmy 



breezes of spring swept along the streets of 
the city, Violet went the more enthusiastically to 
her work. Papa knew all about it now, and he 
was pleased with the energy she had manifested, 
and spoke more encouragingly of the brighter 
days to come. There were signs in the times that 
pointed to progress and success. Business men 
were looking upward to read and rejoice in these 
signs. Orders were coming in from the West, and 
from the South. Once more the representatives 
of the various houses were sent forth to go into the 
cities and towns wherever the iron horse snorted or 
the stroke of the great wheel broke the surface 
of the stream. 

The firm that employed Mr. Montgomery con- 
cluded that he was just the man to represent their 
interests in the southern portion of the country. 
He was a gentleman of the first class ; he had spent 
his life in the associations of the best society; his 
manners were not acquired, but were natural ; and in 


176 


BRAVE HE A HI S WIN. 177 

the days of his prosperity he had freely associated 
with the Southern people at Saratoga and Newport ; 
thus he thoroughly understood their characters 
and modes of thinking. The firm, therefore, 
invited him to take a trip through the South, 
and present their • interests to the Southern trade. 
To this Mr. Montgomery at once heartily consented, 
for he was desiring such a change of employment. 
He was beginning to feel that he needed it, in order 
to sustain his physical energy. This travelling 
would give him what was needed, a vacation, and 
with it all the pleasure of an extensive trip through 
his own country. He thought also that it would be 
very pleasant to meet with many whom he had 
known, and had entertained at his own house 
before his disastrous days came upon him. 

The drawback to his satisfaction was the thought 
of leaving Violet; to both of them that would be 
exceedingly unpleasant, more so now than ever 
before, for they were just learning how necessary 
they seemed to each other’s happiness. But busi- 
ness does not always respect these ties, pleasant 
though they be. And both Mr. Montgomery and 
Violet determined to look on the brighter side of 
the question ; for it really had a bright side. To 
Mr. Montgomery the release from the confinement 

at his desk, and the prospect of this trip came like 
M 


178 


BRAVE HEARTS WIN. 


the coming of a refreshing shower, upon a dry and 
parched earth ; to Violet, it was the conviction 
that it was for papa’s health and interest, and thus 
both found it a cause for thankfulness. She knew 
that she should deeply feel his absence, yet she 
resolved to bear the separation with cheerfulness 
because it would make him happy. 

As to Aunt Phoebe, she had determined to leave 
the East and make her home with her brother 
in the West. Then it was decided that the house 
should be given up, and that Violet should spend 
the summer in the country, and thus avoid the 
heat of the city and gain renewed strength for 
carrying out her plans for the next winter. 

The times for these changes steadily came on. 
The house was given up, the furniture stored, and 
pleasant rooms taken for a time. Aunt Phoebe 
started for the West, and Violet and her papa were 
left alone to spend the last evening together, preced- 
ing his long journey through the sunny South. It 
was an evening long to be remembered by both of 
them. It marked an epoch in the course of their 
lives. It marked the dissolution of old ties and the 
forming of new ones. There was in it an importance 
which neither of them could discern, a new history 
to be unfolded in the near future. 










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CHAPTER XVIII. 

VIOLET AND MAR Y. 


W HEN they were keeping house, Violet had 
become acquainted with an honest, intelli- 
gent looking farmer, who sold exceptionally fine 
butter. When she complimented him on the 
quality of the butter and the attractiveness of his 
market stand, he thanked her, but said it was not 
his own taste, so much as that of his wife and 
daughter, who attended to the dairy, made bou- 
quets of flowers, and instructed him how to arrange 
his stand. One day he said to her : 

“ Miss, you are very much like my eldest 
daughter, my Mary. I think you would be taken 
for sisters if you were seen with each other.” 

Violet was pleased with the compliment, for she 
felt it to be a true one, hence she often inquired 
about Mary, and sent many pretty little messages 
out to the farm-house. The messages were answered 
by others, equally pleasant, and thus the girls felt 
acquainted, though they had never seen each other. 
When the time came for Violet to select a summer 
residence, she came to the farmer and said : 

“I am very curious to see where this excellent 

179 


180 


BRAVE HEARTS WIN. 


butter is made, and to know the wife and daughter 
who assist in having everything decorated with 
flowers; so if you please, just ask them hoAV they 
would like to have me to board with them for a few 
months; but be sure you tell them, not to look 
for a grand city lady, but only an ordinary little 
housekeeper.” 

In due time the farmer told his family what his 
city friend had said. They talked it all over, and 
without expressing a conclusion, began to consider 
how her room should be arranged. When they 
began this discussion the farmer went out to see 
about his work, for he knew that this was woman’s 
way of settling the matter, and that Violet would 
be sure to come. 

At his next visit to the city the farmer relieved 
Violet’s anxiety by telling her they would be ready 
to receive her and asking her to fix the day for her 
coming. 

When the day came, Violet started for her 
new home. Out through picturesque scenery she 
rode, until at Malvern she left the cars, and saw 
the smiling, welcoming face of the farmer, who had 
been awaiting her arrival. In a few moments he 
brought the carriage to the platform, and she 
entered it. They rode down the hill and out into 
the valley, passing several farm-houses, until at last 


BRAVE HEARTS WIN. 


181 


they arrived at the old-fashioned place called 
“ Cloverdale ” by the neighbors, but “Home” by 
the farmer. 

A motherly- looking woman was standing in the 
doorway, but a girl about her own age came gaily 
tripping to the gate ; and as Violet was handed out 
of the carriage this happy girl took her hand in 
her own warm grasp, and without waiting for a 
formal introduction, kissed her cheeks and said: 

“I am Mary, and you are Violet. Welcome to 
Cloverdale, and may it be to you So home-like that 
you will have unmingled happiness here.” 

Violet gazed into the face of the cheerful girl 
who had so heartily welcomed her, and with quick 
intuitive perception, she read the heart of Mary, 
and at once accepted her as her friend. Mary 
was of medium height, rather slender in her form, 
but graceful in every motion. She was lithe and 
active, and every muscle of the body seemed to 
respond quickly to the command of her mind. She 
was fair, with the ruddy glow of perfect health. 
Her eyes and lips seemed to be in perfect accord 
with each other, for both smiled at the same time, 
and the expression of the one was the expression 
of the other. 

As Violet looked into her clear hazel eyes she 
thought: “What a pretty girl she is, I know I 


182 


BRAVE HEARTS WIN. 


shall like her.” And Mary was saying to her 
own heart : “ Oh, the darling that she is ! she is the 
handsomest lady I ever did see, what a treat it 
will be to have her here for the whole summer ! ” 

But the sun was darting his hot rays upon them, 
and they must go into the house; Mary said her 
mamma was eagerly waiting to greet, and welcome 
her guest. Violet now felt happy; one look at the 
face that was smiling on her from the doorway told 
her that a warm heart would cherish her; she 
accepted the offered love, and at once felt entirely 
at home. 

Many changes had been made in this beautiful 
place during the three years that Mr. Gordon had 
owned it. It no longer bore the marks of neglect. 
The fences had been repaired; the barn and out- 
buildings were kept well whitewashed, the house 
was newly painted ; the lawn and the trees about 
the house were all trimmed in excellent taste ; and 
it attracted attention, as one of the most comfort- 
able looking homes in the valley. The family had 
gradually become acquainted with the best people 
in the valley, and Mary was esteemed as a belle. 

But she seemed to be unconscious of the admira- 
tion she excited; she realized that she was only a 
child, on the borderland of knowledge ; everywhere 
and in every thing, she had found mysteries that 


BRAVE HEARTS WIN. 


183 


she could not explain. But she loved all nature. 
She listened eagerly and delightedly to the warbling 
of the birds, from the carol of the robin in spring- 
time, to the latest song before they flew to the south, 
but she knew not the thoughts they were expressing. 
She saw the flowers open and close, from the blos- 
soming of the crocus and the trailing arbutus to the 
final withering of the dahlias before the blasts of 
winter ; but they kept the secret of their sweetness 
to themselves, they would die beneath her tread, or 
break in her grasp, but they would not tell the story 
of their life. 

The girls had not been together very long, before 
Mary began to tell the stranger, the longings after 
knowledge that filled her heart. It was true she 
had what girls in the country called a good educa- 
tion, she knew that to them she was not ignorant, 
but she had never penetrated the higher realms of 
learning, and in some directions she did not wish to. 
She did not care to study German, or French, or 
Italian, but she did want to know the things about 
her. She wanted to know the blade of grass, the 
tulip, the daisy, the pansy; these and many more 
charming little flowers she desired to understand. 
Oftentimes she would sit down on the grass, and 
tear in pieces the tiny flowers. They were so curious 
in their structure, and the colors were so beauti- 


184 


BRAVE HEARTS WIJV. 


fully, so wondrously shaded ; even the most common 
flowers that grew, were all worthy of the most 
minute attention. She had a little microscope, and 
with this she would gaze upon their peculiarities, 
and wonder at the order and perfectness of nature. 

“ Oh,” she said to Violet, “just see the beauty 
there is in one little flower, yet there are millions of 
them formed after the same pattern, and planted in 
the earth to perpetuate their race in just that way 
forever. Oh, isn’t it wonderful?” 

Violet fully appreciated Mary’s enthusiasm, for 
she too, loved flowers, and had studied to some 
extent their structure. She soon learned that there 
was an additional charm in going into the yard, 
sitting on the grass, and examining the flowers by 
pulling them to pieces thus seeing their innermost 
beauties. This was a new experience for Violet, 
and such a one as she had always desired, for she 
too saw many things to learn, and with Mary she 
felt a desire to know all about the things that 
environed her, and not be so weak as to display 
the too common ignorance of the city girl in the 
country.- 

Mary had many a little laugh at her eagerness, 
but they soon learned to love each other so that 
what the one desired to do, soon met with a quick 
response of willingness from the other. The farm- 


BRAVE HEARTS Wh V. 


185 


house was not far from the main thoroughfare 
between West Chester and Phcenixville, and from 
the up -stairs window they could easily see the 
carriages passing between these two places. It 
was just far enough from the Post Office to require 
the use of a horse in going for the mail, hence the 
girls had frequent rides until both became excellent 
riders, and the house was just far enough from the 
neighbors to enable them to put on their plain 
calico dresses, and run in the fields, climb the 
fences, and enjoy themselves just as they pleased 
without the fear of horrifying the observer. 

Mary was delighted to be able to tell Violet so 
much about the farm life and habits. She was 
well aware that Violet was much superior to her 
in education, but this dependence upon her to learn 
about things in the country tended to restore the 
equality between them, and on both sides became 
an excuse for freedom of utterance. It was a great 
pleasure to Mrs. Gordon to see the girls so united 
in their plans for passing the time. She too felt 
the strengthening influence of the city-girl, and 
could trust Mary in her company without fear of 
her being led into evil. 

If Mrs. Gordon ever had any misgivings as 
to the influence of the city maiden, they were 
extinguished the very day of her arrival. For, in 


186 


BRAVE HEARTS WIN. 


the beginning of her associations with the family, 
Violet boldly unfurled the standard of her Prince 
Immanuel, and openly professed allegiance to his 
dear name. Mrs. Gordon had no fear of a con- 
sistent Christian girl, she apprehended no danger 
from a praying maiden, she knew from experience 
as also from observation that if Christ was present 
in her heart, she would be saved from being led 
into the snares and pitfalls of the evil one. 

As Mrs. Gordon stood one day in the doorway 
and saw the two girls sitting on the grass, and 
talking over the pleasant things in their lives, and 
and giving their confidence to each other; as she 
noticed the sparkle in their eyes, the fresh smile on 
their faces, and the earnestness in their tones ; she 
knew that her Mary had found a friend, such as 
she had always longed for, and that one of the 
bright dreams of her life was now realized ; and 
she too rejoiced in it, for what gave her daughter 
joy, was joy to her own heart. 


CHAPTER XIX. 


LIFE AT FERN HILL. 

R ICHARD soon understood the ways of the 
crippled professor, for they were not hard to 
learn. His greatest requirement was attention to 
one’s duties and promptness. He was not only a 
teacher, but also a scholar and a student, and he 
kept himself thoroughly acquainted with the cur- 
rent thought of the day. Whoever waited on him, 
became his private secretary, his amanuensis, his 
reader; and thus a person of discernment, and of 
good judgment was required. The position was not 
a sinecure, though desirable because the advantages 
more than repaid for all the toil and deprivation it 
involved. 

It was generally understood that the secretary of 
the professor was not a servant, but the associate of 
the best social elements in the school, and although 
the school was made up of youths from the best 
families of the surrounding country, there was no 
danger of Richard being looked upon by them as 
an inferior. To Richard this was of considerable 

importance; not that he cared so much for their 

187 


188 


BRAVE HEARTS WIN. 


society, for as yet he had not met any of them, but 
he possessed a great deal of natural pride. 

When the day came for the opening of the school, 
about forty young ladies and young gentlemen 
assembled in the school room, and at once every 
desk was taken. The professor was wheeled to his 
position, and opened the school by reading a selec- 
tion of Scripture and a prayer. This was followed 
by his usual address. In perfect accord and in 
hearty good will, the work then began, and each 
one settled down to the task assigned. Richard’s 
duties did not interfere with his taking a place 
with the others in study and in recitations, and he 
at once recognized the necessity of close application 
if he desired to distinguish himself among them. 
As he gazed into the faces of his schoolmates, and 
noticed the broad expansive brows he questioned as 
to whom he should be compelled to struggle with for 
the mastery. There were, however, as many girls 
as boys in the school, and Richard soon discovered 
that the girls excelled in their recitations, and that 
he would have to contest the prize of scholarship, 
not with the boys, but with the girls ; and that his 
triumph if he gained one, must be over what he 
had always heard called “the weaker sex.” 

Richard was not long in achieving a good degree 
of popularity among the scholars. No one in the 


B R A VE HE A R TS WIN. 


189 


school had a clearer countenance than he, and 
no one in the school was more graceful. His 
manners were those of a natural gentleman, and 
because of his many good qualities he became the 
Chevalier Bayard of all the smaller girls in the 
school. But some of the scholars w T ere secretly 
jealous of him, yet they could not injure him ; for, 
watch closely as they might, they could find 
nothing in his daily walk to bring discredit upon 
him. Some of them, however, tried to penetrate 
the past, and discover from whence he had come; 
but all suggestions and inquiries failed to elicit the 
least information from him as to his early history. 
But with the mystery, came the determination not 
to be defeated, and in true detective style they 
entered into a study of the case. They learned, 
by watching his movements, that he occasionally 
visited some place to the south of the school. On 
one of these trips they followed him, and discovered 
that the place was the home of Mrs. Davis; and 
as one of the young men was acquainted with 
Mrs. Davis, this seemed to be a valuable clue. 

The next week this young man called at this 
place, and in talking about the school, mentioned 
Bichard’s name, and asked Mrs. Davis if she had 
ever met him. 

“ Oh yes,” she replied, “ he is quite a favorite of 


190 BRAVE HEARTS WIN. 

mine. He went to school to me about three years 
ago.” 

The young man did not think it prudent to 
inquire further, but taking leave soon afterward, 
reported to his fellows this second clue. As Mrs. 
Davis had been a pupil of the professor, they 
asked him where she had taught . at the time she 
had mentioned. Not thinking of any special 
design on their part, he informed them vdiere her 
school was located. The Saturday following, with 
this additional clue, they visited that locality, and 
began to search for the residence of Mr. Mullens. 
But they learned that no farmer of that name 
lived there, nor had such a person ever been knowm 
in that section. Thus it seemed as if the clues had 
misled them. But happening to meet one of the 
members of the school board for that district, one 
of the young men inquired if a lad named Richard 
Mullens had attended school there some three years 
before. 

“Yes,” replied the man, “I know that young 
man very well, and a better young man never 
lived ; ” then he continued : “About here we have 
cause to know him, for he is the first mine boy we 
ever knew to rise out of poverty and ignorance, 
to become the equal of the best society in the 
district.” 


BRAVE HEARTS WIN. 


191 


“ Indeed ! ” queried the young man ; “a mine 
boy; why, how was that?” 

“Well,” replied the man, “I can’t tell you all 
the particulars, but when quite a small boy, he was 
picked up somewhere by the foreman of the mine, 
and brought to the big chrome pit, and there put 
to work. But from the first he displayed such 
ability, that everybody could see he was of superior 
stock, and he went on until he saved money enough 
to go to school, and just now he is at Fern Hill, 
and as I hear, among the best scholars of the whole 
lot up there. Some day he will be a great man, 
just as sure as he lives ; he will yet make his mark 
in the world.” 

“Well, sir,” said the young man, “I am much 
obliged to you for the information, but as it is now 
getting late, we shall have to bid you good-evening, 
and we hope you will soon see your young prodigy 
again.” 

The ardent youths, who were so careful in guard- 
ing the scholars from the companionship of any 
plebian, now felt in high glee, for they determined 
to expose the “ hypocritical fellow ” — as they called 
him — who had, no doubt, imposed upon the pro- 
fessor, and had stolen into their society. They 
thought that the professor must have been deceived, 
for how could he have otherwise admitted to his 


192 


BRAVE HEARTS WIN. 


school a chrome miner ? For their part they felt 
that it was a disgrace to continue in the school with 
him, they of the best families, and he a mere 
nobody. 

Maude Richmond, one of the larger and more 
aristocratic girls, regarded herself as insulted when 
one of the young men told her what they had 
learned, and she determined, upon the very first 
opportunity, to fling into Richard’s face the facts 
which they had told her. 

It was not many days until the trial came. A 
party was to be made up to attend a spelling-match. 
Richard was acknowledged to be the champion of 
the school in spelling, and was always the first one 
chosen, but when his name was mentioned Maude 
arose, and with a contemptuous curl of the lip, 
with her bright black eyes flashing, and her 
jeweled finger pointing tow r ard Richard, she said 
in clear ringing tones: 

“ No, he shall not be chosen, he is not a fit person 
to represent this school, he is an intruder,” and then 
turning to the astonished school, she said “ w r hy that 
fellow is of no family ; he is only a miner, and has 
had the audacity to make one leap from the bottom 
of the deep chrome pit, up to our society. If he 
doesn’t know r better than to do that, we will teach 
him the quality of this school.” 


BRAVE HEARTS WIN. 


193 


Astonished at the suddenness and vehemence of 
this attack, Richard looked in her face a moment, 
then sat down, he had not a word to say ; but as he 
did so, the professor appeared in the doorway. He 
had heard the accusation. Being wheeled to his 
place by his wife, he called the school to attend to 
his remarks, and then he called upon Maude to 
bring her accusation against Richard. 

When she had done so, he asked if any one in 
the school had any other charge against him, but 
after a little silence, no one responding, he said. 

“ Miss Richmond, what you say as to his previous 
occupation is true, and I knew all about it, when 
he first came to me. But he is a noble and true 
man/’ and as the professor said this, he struck the 
desk with his ruler as he sometimes did when unus- 
ually emphatic, “ and he shall stay in this school ; 
and if Maude Richmond, and those who have con- 
spired with her against him do not like it, they may 
express it by taking their books and going to their 
homes.” 

Then he had his wife wheel him out of the room 
to his own cosy study. 


N 


CHAPTER XX. 


GATHERING UP THE THREADS. 

EEP was the indignation of the 61ite of the 



school at this interference of the master, but 


the fiat had gone forth, and they well knew that 
there was no appeal. In these few sentences the 
fact was established that a poor boy with a good 
character was considered as good as a rich boy with 
a similar character, that is, that each individual 
stood upon his own merits, and was to be adjudged 
on his daily record. 

Richard did not have anything to say, but at 
once turned to his books, and when the body of the 
scholars rebelled against the rule of the 4lite and 
elected him as their champion, he positively 
declined to serve. This pleased the opposition, 
who now took charge of the matter, and selected 
their warriors to fight the battles of the school. 
The sympathy of the school was with Richard, 
and upon his refusal, many of them felt like 
staying at home, but as he urged them to go they 
consented, and the Fern Hill students started for 
the intellectual arena. 


194 


BRAVE HEARTS WIN. 


195 


The foe that opposed them was a rival school 
from the town of Oxford, and there was consider- 
able enthusiasm in the meeting as both parties 
confidently hoped for the victory. The words given 
out, were from the famous collection of fifteen 
hundred hard words. As they were slowly giver 
out, one after another fell, until at last every on< 
of the Fern Hill students was down, and stil 
three of the Oxford students remained standing 
but at length a word was given that neither of 
these could spell, and they were also declared 
down, but the laurels had been wrested from the 
Fern Hill students and given to those from 
Oxford. 

One of the girls who had been quite indignant 
at the treatment of Richard, put on paper the words 
that could not be spelled, and after they returned 
home, before the assembled school asked Richard 
to try them. They all listened almost breathless 
while the words were given him. One by one he 
accurately spelled them. This increased the 
chagrin of all, for they saw that the malice of 
a few had reacted against their school; it had 
brought disgrace and defeat upon them all, while 
they would have had both victory and honor, if they 
had acted right. The fault-finders did not dare to 
carry their enmity any further; they knew that 


396 


BRAVE HEARTS WIN. 


they would be expelled if they did, and that would 
bring a sad disgrace upon their good names. 

Richard was not greatly pained at the result, for 
he soon saw how limited the feeling against him 
was, and that the scholars as a body were attached 
to him. So he continued steadily on his course 
until three years had passed away, and his mind 
was stored with precious truths. 

His mental powers were so w T ell trained that he 
not only stood at the head of the school, but the 
professor informed him that he had attained the 
highest steps in the school studies, and that to 
advance further it would be necessary for him 
to go to one of the leading colleges. This Richard 
earnestly desired to do, but his funds were now 
almost exhausted, and he was compelled to obtain 
employment to gain more funds. 

The professor gave him letters to some of his 
influential friends in the city, for Richard deter- 
mined to go there, and find an opening to earn the 
amount needed to enable him to take a full college 
course. He remained a few days at Fern Hill 
after the closing exercises, until all the scholars 
had left, and the professor had made his arrange- 
ments for his summer tour. Then he went from 
his school home, where he had passed from youth 
to manhood, back again to the mines where he had 


BRAVE HEARTS WIN. 


197 


passed from boyhood to youth, to see once more 
those who were his friends when a poor, little 
ignorant boy. 

The friendly and hearty Irishmen were delighted 
to see him again, and in the evening around one of 
their firesides they gathered and listened with great 
delight as he told them of the wonderful things he 
had learned. They were pleased with his growth, 
and felt a pride in their own boy, who was as much 
of a gentleman as any that ever came to the 
mines; and, better than all, they were delighted to 
see that culture had not made him proud ; he could 
eat at their tables; he would take their babies on 
his knees, and kiss the children, and talk to them 
just as naturally as when he was himself a little 
boy. Then they began to talk about the mine, and 
of what had taken place since he went to Fern 
Hill. Mr. Gordon’s leaving had caused a great 
change in the works, and a new pit had been dug, 
where they were now working. 

“But how about the water?” asked Richard, “is 
it up as high as ever?” 

“No, indeed, it is not,” replied the workman; 
“ the water has fallen at least twenty-five feet, but 
there is no use in working in the deep pit, for we 
have all we can do now in the new opening.” 

As Richard heard this he almost betrayed his 


198 BRAVE HEARTS WIN. 

feelings, for that much of a fall in the water would 
enable him to enter the place where his treasure 
was hidden. So he asked: 

“ Is the haunted chamber below or above the 
water line?” 

“Well, it is neither,” replied the man; “that is, 
the water is in the cavern, but not very deep.” 

“Well,” replied Richard, “I would like to take a 
trip through the mine ; and, Pat, if you don’t care, 
I would like to go alone, and see if I know all the 
ins and the outs as I used to.” 

“All right,” replied Pat, “your wishes shall be 
granted ; but if you get lost, just shout as loud as 
you can, and we will be sure to hear you.” 

The following morning Richard dressed himself 
in an old oiled suit, and with a supply of candles 
started down the ladders of the old shaft. Down, 
down he went, and as he passed ladder after ladder, 
he thought of the secret visit in these depths many 
years before. At length he came to the top of the 
chute ; as he held the candle over it, the thought of 
his accident flashed across his mind, and he sat 
down for a few moments to reflect on the goodness 
and mercy of God. How could he despair in any- 
thing, when he had received such evident tokens of 
the divine watchcare. But he passed on, and stood 
near the mouth of the haunted chamber. 


BRAVE HEARTS WIN. 


199 


At his feet the water was covering all the deep, 
dark recesses ; it was silent and motionless, but a 
sure death to whoever should fall into its embrace. 

The water covered the bottom of the cavern, as 
Patrick had said, and at the very place where the 
treasures were hidden, the water came up even to 
the crevice; but Richard remembered the exact 
outline of the cavern ; he knew where the floor 
was level, and where the rocks lay ; he knew the 
line of the crevice, and felt sure that even without 
a light he could go to the exact spot. And so w T e 
behold him entering the place. He does not fear 
the danger, he is exulting in his joy, he knows 
that no footstep has been there since his own, and 
that all is as he left it. With a bold heart, but 
careful tread, he steps into the water, he grasps 
with his hands the jagged side of the crevice, and 
passes into the chamber. As he steps into the 
cavern, he hears the voice of Patrick calling him, 
who is evidently alarmed at his absence and is 
seeking him, but Richard thrusts his candle under 
the water, extinguishing it, and glides back of the 
curve in the wall of rock, where he motionless 
waits for the intruder to depart. Patrick comes 
nearer and nearer with his light, peering here and 
there, down to the chute, down to the mouth of the 
pit, with its mass of dark water, down to the border 


200 


BRAVE HEARTS WIN. 


of the haunted chamber, where the water is lying 
unruffled, just as he had seen it for years, but no 
sign of Richard. He sets down his candle, puts 
his hands to his mouth in trumpet shape, and calls 
until the various caverns echo back the sound. 

“ Ho, Richard ! ” But no answer comes except 
that which the rock walls throw back to him. 
Muttering to himself, “ Sure, an’ the lad’s gone up 
again,” Patrick went back to his work in the new 
pit nearer the surface of the ground. 

Richard had matches in his vest pocket, and 
lighting his candle again, he wades deeper into the 
water towards the end of the crevice. He reaches 
the place, he makes a little search, and there, just 
under the surface of the water touches the spot. 
With his knife he digs out the earth with which he 
had filled it, and, just as he had hidden it, finds the 
box. He takes it out, hides it in his clothing, and 
carefully wading back to the shaft, emerges from 
the water, and ascends to the surface of the ground. 
As he came up Patrick asked him where he had 
been, for he could not find him. Richard laugh- 
ingly replied, “Well Patrick, I thought I would 
get ahead of you, so I waded into the haunted 
chamber, and staid there until you left.” 

Patrick laughed for he thought it a fine joke 
by the lad. 































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Brave Hearts Win 


Page 200 
























































































































































































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BRAVE HEARTS WIN . 


201 


When Richard was shown to his room that even- 
ing, he waited until all was quiet about the house, 
and then with trembling hands cut the oiled cloth 
from the box, dug out the solid grease, took out 
the roll, ripped it open, and there, before his eyes, 
shining as brightly as ever, with lustre undimmed, 
and not even tarnished, the gold and diamonds 
appeared, precious to him not only because of their 
inherent value, but because they were Violet’s, and 
prized by Richard as a trust placed in his hands by 
such a train of singular providential circumstances. 
The sight of these treasures led his mind back again 
to the home of his childhood, and he wondered if 
any one who had then known him would be able to 
recognize him now. 

Then he was a poor little half-fed bootblack; 
now he was a stalwart young gentleman. Then he 
was associated with all kinds of iniquity, with 
awful temptations at every step, now through the 
blessing of God he was well established in correct 
principles, and feared none of the temptations which 
beset his earlier years. Then he was a poor little 
wanderer, flying for refuge, now he was able, in the 
strength and intelligence of manhood to return to 
these former scenes, and perhaps gather up the 
threads of a past of which he was ignorant, but 
which he earnestly wished to know, and upon his 


202 


BRAVE HEARTS WIN. 


knowledge of which his future happiness might 
depend. 

When the cruel taunts of Maude Richmond 
struck his heart, he felt the advantage a man could 
have with a pedigree. He did not know his own 
name, and whenever he wrote what he called his 
name, he realized its worthlessness. As he looked 
at the diamonds, and thought of these things, he 
wondered why these mysteries surrounded him, and 
what would be the outcome of his strange career. 

The next day he told his friends that he was 
going to the city, out of which he had come, and 
that some day he hoped to return, and see them all 
again. He informed them that he wanted to gather 
out of the mine, many more of its beautiful speci- 
mens. He said: 

“Though the place where the Brucites and the 
Lancasterites were found is under the water, yet in 
the new pit, you can get me choice arid beautiful 
specimens of all the shades of the red and the 
green. I shall be sure to return to claim them. ,, 

Patrick promised to execute the mission faith- 
fully. 

“The choicest jewels of the mine,” he said, “shall 
be saved for you, but you must not be long in com- 
ing back; for you must remember that you are our 
boy.” 


BRAVE HEARTS >TIW. 


203 


Richard did not have to walk to the station, but 
by one of the neighboring farmer boys was taken 
there, and soon afterward was once more on the 
cars, whirling rapidly toward the city. What a 
ride this was! How the little towns along the 
road had grown since he came over it ! The world 
seemed busier, and everything seemed to move more 
quickly. When he left the mine before, he had 
come out of the noise into the quiet ; now, he was 
rushing back out of the quiet into the noise. 

Richard did not intend to stop long in the city 
just now; for there was a certain family of very 
dear friends whom he intended to visit, and he 
hoped to be with them before night. But he felt 
that it was his duty to return the diamonds to their 
owner before going on his pleasure trip. Perhaps 
he would have the joy of once more seeing the 
beautiful Violet. As he thought of her, he 
wondered if she too could be as greatly changed 
as himself. She surely would not recognize him, 
and perhaps would not even care to see him. 
Perhaps, indeed, she was not living. It was a 
saddening possibility. But if it should be so, he 
could visit her tomb, and then thank God for per- 
mitting him to receive from her the first and most 
valued of all books, the Bible that taught him the 
glorious way of salvation, the Bible which had 


204 


BRAVE BEAUTS WIN. 


been sacredly kept as his daily companion, feeding 
his soul, and enabling him to triumph over the 
trials that beset him in his way. By this sign he 
had conquered, and all his religious ideas seemed 
to circle about the two things that came from 
Violet, — the Bible and the cross. And as her 
influence was thus enshrined in his deepest 
affections, no one could drive from him the lustre 
of her sweet and beautiful memory. In a few 
hours, the cars reached the city. He soon saw 
where he was, and preferring to walk that he might 
see the more, he passed with a quick step down to 
Broad Street, and went toward the •well-remembered 
mansion where he had seen Violet. 

His heart beat quickly as he came near the old 
Montgomery mansion, and to his delight he saw 
the residence was occupied, and some of the family 
•were on the lawn. When he rang the bell, the 
servant ushered him into an apartment where he 
found the gentleman of the house. Richard 
inquired if he was Mr. Montgomery. 

“ No,” was the reply, “ Mr. Montgomery moved 
from here about three years ago.” 

“ Could you inform me where I can find him ? ” 
asked Richard, as he felt once more the pang of 
this unexpected disappointment. 

“ I cannot tell you,” replied the gentleman, “ he 


BRAVE HEARTS WIN. 


205 


failed in business, and had to sell his property, and 
has been acting as a clerk. I believe he moved to 
West Philadelphia, but just now he is travelling 
in the South for the business firm he represents. 
Can I do anything more for you?” 

“ No, thank you,” replied Richard, “ I must see 
him in person.” 

With a sad heart he turned from the place, and 
now all he could do was to go out to his friends 
in the country, and wait until fall, when Mr. 
Montgomery would return, and then restore the 
diamonds. 


CHAPTER XXI. 


THE LOST FOUND. 

HEX Jennie came up to the girls, she found 



V V them exchanging confidences, and they were 
showing each other little keepsakes which they had 
received from friends. Violet had just been telling 
Mary of her city life, and as she told her of the 
days of their prosperity, and the luxury they had 
enjoyed on Broad Street, and the change that came 
so suddenly and so completely, sympathetic tears 
came into Mary’s eyes, for she understood that 
the change must have been so very hard to bear. 
Violet became enthusiastic as she told of the furni- 
ture, and the adornments of the housp they had 
left, but rose to the height of description, when 
she spoke of her papa, her good, honorable papa, 
who could cheerfully surrender all to save the 
honor of his name. 

Mary could not tell of such a change in her life. 
It was rather of the opposite kind, of gradually 
rising from poverty into plenty, from the back 
woods into the cultivated valley. Mary was 
gifted with the faculty of description, and was able 


206 


BRAVE HEARTS WIN. 


207 


to convey to Violet’s mind quite a correct idea of 
life at the mines. 

She told Violet about the Irish miners so quaint 
and child-like in their ways, yet so coarse and 
terrible when under the influence of strong drink. 
She said: 

“ In order to know these men, you must see them 
at four different times. When they are at work, 
where they lazily follow the commands of the boss, 
and only do as he tells them, and sometimes not 
that; when at their homes, sitting by the fire and 
smoking their pipes, and boasting — for that seems 
to be necessary to their pleasure ; when under the 
influence of liquor — for the most of them are fond 
of it — and then they become bloodthirsty, and 
cruel, seeming to have no idea of tenderness, or 
the plainest feelings of humanity; and when at 
church, in which place they are as solemn and 
reverential as it is possible for grown up children 
to be.” 

Violet had never met such people, but the nar- 
ration of their peculiarities by Mary was charm- 
ing, while the sparkle of Mary’s expression, and the 
spells of laughter .interspersing her remarks, added 
to the reality of the picture. But when Mary told 
of the beaux, and their mode of courting, Violet 
was almost convulsed with laughter. 


208 


BRAVE HEARTS WIN. 


After a while Mary left the neighbors, and told 
of their own household. She told the story of her 
strange brother, w T ho had come to them so mysteri- 
ously, and who w r as now such a highly educated 
gentleman. She told of his fall down the chute in 
the mine until in sympathy the tears dropped from 
Violet’s eyes. She spoke of his struggles in school, 
and of the vigor of his mind in mastering the intri- 
cacies of the deepest problems. Then she told of 
his singular love for the beautiful, how it developed 
on the top of the ore heaps, and how it grew, and 
in all the stones that passed through his hands, he 
sought out the color and crystals that nature had 
placed in them. 

“Ah, Violet,” she said, “you ought to see his 
very beautiful collection, you would hardly suppose 
stones were so beautiful. Why, they have the most 
curious forms, the tiniest crystals, the most glowing 
colors, and of all shades too. Why, Violet, although 
we had been living there for years, w r e never sup- 
posed there was anything particularly attractive 
there, until he showed us, and urged us to seek for 
more. What delight he would manifest, when, 
coming in to dinner or supper, he would bring with 
him some pretty piece of serpentine or Lancasterite, 
or of some one of the other curious stones found 
there! How earnestly he would call the children 


BRAVE HEARTS WIN. 209 

to him, and with one of mother’s long slender darn- 
ing needles, point out to them the beautiful features 
of the stone, until his enthusiasm would actually 
kindle their own. From that time on, to all of us, 
the old mine was no more a barren waste, but a 
fairie land of concealed wonders. Then she told of 
their separation, of his going to school, when they 
moved from the place to come to their present 
home. 

“And, Violet,” added Mary, “just think, he is to 
be here to-morrow. We have just received the 
letter this morning. His school has closed, and he 
is going to Philadelphia to find employment until 
he can earn enough money, to see him through his 
college course. He says, maybe he will stay with 
us several weeks, now will not that be nice? You 
see he does not know that you are here; nor does 
he know anything about you; but I am sure he 
will like you, and you will like him, and we shall 
have elegant times? Now, Miss Violet, what do 
you think about that?” 

Violet said she was afraid that Mary might want 
to monopolize all of his attentions, as she seemed 
to think so much of him, and if so, she might have 
a chance to feel forsaken. But Mary blushed as 
she replied: 

“No, Violet, I see what you mean, but you are 
o 


210 


BRAVE HEARTS WIN. 


mistaken. He is not my sweetheart, and possibly 
never will be. He is a brother, and always will be 
that to me. And if Miss Violet wants to get his 
favor, I will most gladly help her to set her cap, 
and not stand in the way.” 

Then they laughed at the thought, but Violet 
said, “ Have you his photograph ? I should like to 
see what this model of perfection looks like.” 

Jennie jumped up, and saying she would get it, 
ran into the house for the picture. Mary kept it in 
her own room, in a little box with other prized 
gifts, and Jennie well knew the place. So she soon 
returned with the photograph. Violet took it, and 
for some time quietly studied it, while Mary and 
Jennie watched her, eager to hear her criticism. 
But as they watched her, Violet’s eyes began to fill 
with team, until they rolled out, and down over her 
cheeks. 

“ Mary,” she said, still looking at the picture, “ I 
have a lady friend in the city, a very wealthy 
lady, and just as sweet as can be, whom this picture 
is very like. The same eyebrows, the same brow, 
the same kind of a mouth, the same general expres- 
sion. Oh, I see her in this face. And, Mary, I 
want to tell you about her. When her little boy 
was three years old, one day the maid took him out 
on the street, and he was stolen. That was about 


BRAVE HEARTS WIN. 


211 


seventeen years ago. About eight years ago, she 
found out where he had been kept, but he suddenly 
disappeared again, and though a great reward was 
offered, and the detectives were put to work, yet no 
trace of him was ever discovered.” 

“Why, how strange!” said Mary. “He is about 
twenty years of age, and it is just about eight 
years since he came home with father from Phila- 
delphia. Father picked him up on the street, 
for he said he was homeless and friendless, and he 
was only a poor little bootblack.” 

While Mary was telling this, Violet became quite 
pale, and seizing Mary’s hand excitedly said : 

“ Oh, Mary, you hav’n’t told me his name, oh tell 
me quick, what is it?” 

“ It is Kichard Mullens,” replied Mary. 

As she pronounced the name, Violet covered her 
face with her hands, and began to sob, while she 
said: “Thank God, thank God!” Surprised at 
this outburst of feeling, and not knowing what to 
think of it, Mary put her arm about Violet, and 
after waiting a few moments, said : 

“Violet dear, tell me what is it?” 

“ Violet flung her arms about Mary’s neck, and 
said: 

“Oh, Mary, it is the lost boy. He is Mrs. 
Morris’ son, I feel sure he is ; the age is the same, 


212 


BRAVE HEARTS WIH. 


the looks are the same; he left Philadelphia just 
when the boy disappeared, and his name is the 
very name the lost boy had, and the name that was 
advertised all over the city. Oh Mary, isn’t it won- 
derful, and wo’n’t Mrs. Morris be glad?” 

Mary could hardly answer at first, then she said : 

“ Violet, don’t you think it would be best not to 
say anything about it until you see him, and then 
you can find out from him what he may know about 
himself; for while he has no knowledge as to his 
parents, he does remember very distinctly the scenes 
of his early childhood ; and if he really is the lost 
boy, it will be a glorious privilege to restore him.” 

“Yes, indeed it will, “said Jennie, “I always 
thought our Richie was of some great family, and 
it will be so nice now to be sure of it.” 

“That is very true,” replied Mary; “but we 
cannot prove it yet. So darling, don’t say any- 
thing about it to anyone until we see, and talk 
with Richard.” 

Richard had written to them, giving the time of 
the train in which he would come. Violet was too 
greatly excited to be able to go with them to meet 
him, so Mary and Jennie went with the carriage to 
the station. They did not have long to wait for the 
arrival of the train. When the traveller alighted, 
Jennie saw him first, and ran up to him. Throwing 


BRAVE HEARTS WIN. 


213 


her arms about his neck, she kissed him again and 
again, until he blushed and laughed at the hearti- 
ness of her reception. Mary was a little more 
dignified, she put herself in the way of his arm, 
and turned her face just so that he could give her 
a brotherly kiss. Then they entered the carriage 
and drove homeward. On the way, Jennie told 
him of the lady from the city, Miss Yy, who was 
visiting them. 

“ And,” said the impulsive girl, “ next to Mary 
she is the sweetest girl that ever lived, and you will 
think so too.” 

“No doubt of it,” replied Richard, “excepting 
of course my darling Jennie, but what did you say 
her name was?” 

“ Why, I didn’t say,” replied Jennie, “ but I will 
tell you now, it is Violet Montgomery.” 

As she deliberately said this, Richard started as 
if to rise, and turned pale. Mary noticing his look 
asked if he was ill. 

“ No,” he answered, “ I am quite well, but that 
is a name I heard a long time ago, when I was a 
poor little bootblack in Philadelphia. It was 
before I came to your home. A little girl gave 
me a Bible, her own Bible, and that is the name 
in it. See, here it is,” and he opened his valise, 
and handed it to her. 


214 


BRAVE HEARTS WIN. 


As Mary took it, she turned to the fly-leaf, and 
there in plain letters was the name of her friend, 
Violet Montgomery. 

“ Oh yes,” she said, “ I remember now. This is 
the Bible you kept by you all the time after you 
fell down the chute; but I had forgotten all about 
it, and so has mamma, why didn’t the name remind 
us of it. I did sometimes think the name familiar, 
but did not remember particularly about it. I sup- 
pose I took it for granted that it was only a stray 
idea.” 

“Where is her father?” asked Richard. 

“ He is travelling in the South, at present,” replied 
Mary, “ he was quite rich, and lost all his property, 
and is now in the South as a commercial traveller.” 

Richard was silent for a few moments, and then 
quietly said : 

“When I saw Violet Montgomery eight years 
ago, I thought she was an angel ; she was perfectly 
beautiful. I have never since, in reality, or in 
dream, seen any one as beautiful. What does she 
look like now?” 

“ She is fair as a lily, sweet as a strawberry, 
stately as a rose, and as charming in her beauty as 
a pansy,” was Mary’s reply. 

“Well,” answered Richard, “if she is all that, 
such a combination of excellences, I suppose I shall 


BRAVE HEARTS WIN. 


215 


have to stand off at a distance, and admire, but 
touch not, taste not, handle not.” 

“ No you wo’n’t,” said Jennie. 

“Who ever heard of people standing off and 
only admiring strawberries. Just wait young man 
until you get acquainted, and then we shall see 
what you will do.” 

Mary now told him all about their guest, and 
she was still talking when they drove up to the 
gate, and Jennie, who had been driving, sprang to 
the ground. 

Richard came next, and then he carefully handed 
Mary out. Mr. Gordon came to greet him, and 
then took the horse away, and Mrs. Gordon got the 
chance to give him a true motherly welcome, for 
she felt that he was her ow T n dear boy. Violet did 
not appear that evening. She pleaded the excuse 
of a sick headache, and truly she had one in 
reality. The unexpectedness of the discovery had 
been more than she could bear, she required con- 
siderable time to regain composure. 

As Richard came up to the house, through the 
slats of her window blinds she saw him, and as she 
heard his merry voice, so clear, and so noble, and 
beheld his bearing so graceful, and dignified, she 
wept at the prospect of the deep joy, that would 
fill the mother’s heart, in the return of her son. 


216 


BRAVE HEARTS WIN. 


When morning came, she was as calm as ever, 
and when the bell rang for breakfast, descended 
and was quietly introduced to the stranger. As 
they clasped hands, she looked into his face. 
Yes, it was the true Morris face, but he could not 
meet her gaze, he blushed, and dropped his eyes. 
Why he did so, she could not tell, and his embar- 
rassment shattered her own stateliness, and both of 
them seemed to be somewhat nervous as they sat 
down by the table. The family could not help 
noticing it, but attributed it to the unexpectedness 
of the meeting; but Mary and Jennie knew. 

After prayers, the young folks went out on the 
lawn, and began conversing about the past. Mary 
had many things to tell Richard, and he had a 
great deal to tell her. After talking a while, as he 
sat by them, he took out of his pocket a little 
package, and handing it to Violet, asked her if she 
had ever seen it. She replied she could tell better 
after opening it, as she said this, she took off the 
wrapping, and held in her hand a small Bible. 
Silently she opened it, and then with nervous 
fingers turned to the fly-leaf, and read the name, 
Violet Montgomery. As she did so, she seemed 
lost in thought; and at length a gleam of light 
broke over her face, as she said: 

“ When I was just ten years old, I had a little 


BRAVE HEARTS WIN. 


217 


birthday party, and as I stood on the veranda I 
saw outside the fence, peering through the fence 
into my face, a poor little hungry looking boot- 
black. I got him some fruit from the table, and 
gave it to him, with this, my little Bible. And the 
little fellow, without saying a word, walked away.” 

She raised her eyes inquiringly toward Richard, 
while a smile came over his face as he said: 

“And I was that little bootblack ; I thought I 
had seen an angel, and I could not even say thanks, 
for my little yearning heart was too full; but I 
went to my home, and cried with mingled joy and 
grief, but the little Bible has been near to my heart 
ever since, while its blessed teachings have been 
in my heart, the bright light of my pathway.” 

Then they were all silent for a while. But 
Violet still gazed into his face. Her expression 
had changed, no longer merely inquiringly, but 
now eager triumph, as she said: 

“Your home was in the south of the city?” 

“Yes,” he answered. 

“And a few days after that you ran away?” 

“Yes,” he again replied. 

“And your name is Richard Mullens?” 

“ I suppose it is not,” he said as an expression of 
sadness swept over his face. “I learned just before 
I ran away, that I was a stolen child, but could 


218 


BRAVE HEARTS WIN. 


not learn who my parents were. I shall now make 
every effort to discover my real parentage.” 

There was deep feeling in his voice, as he said 
this. Jennie was about to speak, hut Violet 
motioned to her to keep silent, and then she said : 

“Your name, as you say, is not Mullens; your 
name is Richard Morris. I know your parents well, 
and they are dear friends of mine, and it will be my 
happy privilege to introduce you to each other.” 

As she slowly and smilingly said this, Richard 
became very pale, for a few moments he did not 
seem to know what to do, then he arose, as did the 
others, and going to Violet he took her hand as 
he said: 

“Is this true? or are you playing with me?” 

“ No,” she said. “ It is true, I am not trying to 
play on your feelings, I would not do that.” 

“ Oh, pardon me,” he said. “ When I first saw 
you, you appeared to me like an angel, during 
these eight years, the remembrance of you has 
been my constant inspiration, and now I feel that 
God has intended you to be my guiding star ; and 
now you will lead me to my home. May God 
bless you.” 


CHAPTER XXII. 

THE DIAMONDS RESTORED. 

I T was only for a moment that Richard stood 
looking earnestly at Violet, then blushing, he 
said: 

“Pardon me Miss Violet, but I was overcome 
by the revelation you made, and could not help 
expressing my real feelings, will you forgive me?” 

“ Oh yes,” she replied, “ it is all right, but now I 
want your permission to write to your mother, and 
tell her all about you, she has waited and hoped so 
long, that if the reality of this blessing comes upon 
her too suddenly, she may not be able to bear the 
strain. She is not very strong, though the energy 
she displays is wonderful for such a frail body.” 

“O my mother, how I yearn to see you,” said 
Richard, as if speaking to her spirit. “This is 
truly an answer to prayer, a gracious answer indeed, 
and now I don’t see why I should not be as happy 
as a prince.” 

Jennie danced about him in high glee, she said : 
“We can’t say poor boy to you any more, or 

trouble our brains how to get the means to enable 

219 


220 BRAVE HEARTH W1JV. 

you to finish your schooling. Perhaps we Will have 
to be very polite to you now, since you are the scion 
of a wealthy house. But I warn you, if you get to 
be proud, or think yourself better than the rest of 
us, that I will reserve all my kisses and smiles for 
some others whom I know ; and all your gold, and 
splendid raiment will not be able to buy them. 
Now, sir, don’t you forget what I have told you.” 

Richard laughed, and said, as he pinched her 
cheek : 

“You pretty little puss, I see you have sharp 
teeth and claws; but don’t you be afraid; you 
will never be driven away from me by my pride. 
I think the danger will all be on the other side. 
Don’t you know that the proudest people in the 
world, are those who have lots of respectability, 
but no money. 

“Stop, stop,” replied Jennie, “ th^t is enough. 
Now, Miss Yy, tell us about his real parents.” 

“ I think his mother is one of the best women in 
the world, with a heart so kind, that she is alway 
looking after the poor, and endeavoring to lead 
them to the blessed Saviour. She often invites 
them to her house, and makes them little suppers, 
and employs Bible readers to go among them, and 
thus she makes the real business of her life to be 
the teaching of the Bible to poor lost sinners. 


BRAVE HEARTS WIN, 


221 


“And your father is counted as one of the most 
successful merchants in the city. While strictly 
attending to his business, he allows his wife to 
attend to the benevolence, and with his purse 
seconds all of her plans for doing good. If anyone 
comes to him, he refers him to her, and says he 
does not know anything about it ; that part of the 
business is not his forte. You see he is a thorough 
business man and places competent persons at the 
head of each department, and his wife is at the 
head of the house and benevolent departments. 
Order and regularity are great requirements in his 
view, and woe to the employe who is careless, or 
who attempts to work without a plan.” 

Mrs. Gordon now came out to them, and they 
informed her of the wonderful revelations of the 
morning, and as they finished telling the story, 
Violet said: 

“ Surely this has been a wonderful morning, when 
will another like it come?” 

“Yes it has been marvellous,” replied Richard, 
“ what will the afternoon bring forth ? I wonder if 
Miss Violet will give us any more surprises?” 

“ No, I think not,” she laughingly replied. “ My 
fund is now T exhausted, I believe that I have done 
my duty, and will rest content with the results 
attained.” 


222 


BRAVE HEARTS WIN. 


When Mr. Gordon came in, Jennie claimed the 
privilege of giving him the particulars, and he too 
rejoiced in the good fortune that had come to his 
boy. He said: 

“ I remember just as well as if it were yesterday, 
the way he looked up into my face, after he had 
blackened my boots, and said to me, almost as if 
afraid to speak, ‘Will I do, sir?’ Why bless you, 
I had a notion to refuse him, but he looked so 
anxious, and his heart seemed to be in his eyes, so 
that I really could not have the courage to say, No. 
And how different all of our lives would have been 
if I had refused him. We should have lost his 
stimulating influence, but he would have had all 
his heart could wish.” 

“Oh yes,” said Mrs. Gordon, “ I think it must 
have been in mercy to me, that he was sent ; for I 
know that he gave me a new relish, for life; and 
awakened within me the most ambitious desires 
for my husband and my children.” 

After dinner was over, the young people w r ent 
out to the lawn again, as Richard playfully said, 
for some new sensation. 

“Oh, I’ll tell you,” said Jennie, “let’s have a 
story, a real true story of somebody that has been 
in trouble, and got out of it. Now wait, girls — 
I move that Richard tells us a real good story. 


BRAVE HEARTS WIN. 


223 


“ I second the motion,” said Violet. “ Tell us a 
story of the mines. I suppose you know some of 
that kind.” 

“ I will do so, if you will promise not to become 
excited,” he replied, “ for it will he a true story.” 

“ Once upon a time, a young lady in a large city 
was away from home, when a thief came to her and 
stole from her something that she esteemed as of 
great value. The thief took it to another thief, 
who received stolen goods, and sold it it to her for 
fifty dollars. A young man, who was staying there, 
pretended to be asleep, and he heard the women 
talking about it, and saw where it was hidden. 
After they went out of the room, in the night, he 
got up and took the article from its hiding place, 
and put it into his pocket, and went up town to 
restore it to its owner. But when he came to the 
house, he learned that the family had moved away, 
they had gone into the country. Then he also 
went into the country, but not where the lady was, 
for he did not know where she had gone. Well, he 
went out to a solitary place, and found a great deep 
mine, and he went down into that mine, way down 
several hundred feet, and there in a secret place, he 
hid the article, until he could have a chance to 
return it. Well, after a while, heavy rains came, 
and the waters rose, and filled a part of that mine, 


224 


BRAVE HEARTS WIN. 


until he could not get to the place, and he had to 
wait several years, until the water fell enough to 
enable him to reach the place by wading. So he 
waded in, and got the article, and took it back to 
the pity, but the family was still away from that 
place, so he put it into his pocket, and went out in 
the country to see his friends, and I guess he is 
there now.” 

As Richard ceased, Jennie said : 

“ Oh, how very provoking to leave the story un- 
finished.” 

“But that will never do,” said Violet. “We 
must have an end to it somehow, please finish it 
for us, Mr. Morris.” 

“So I will,” replied Richard. “When he came, 
to his friends, he found that the lady he was in 
search of was visiting them, and so one afternoon 
when they were all sitting on the lawn, he restored 
the article to the lady.” As Richard said this, he 
took a little package out of his pocket, and handed 
it to Violet, and continued, “ then his mission was 
ended. He fulfilled his trust.” 

Violet was indeed surprised. 

“Oh!” said Jennie, “can it be, you were the 
man, and Violet was the lady. Oh, that is capital! 
Quick, dear Violet, open it, and let us see what 
it can be.” 


BRAVE HEARTS WIN. 225 

Violet began to open it, but her hands trembled 
so that she could hardly do so. A suspicion 
crossed her mind; but no, that could not be. 
Mary seeing her nervousness, said: 

“Let me open it for you.” 

And while Violet crossed her hands on her lap, 
and waited, Mary opened the package, and held 
up before them, the sparkling diamond cross, and 
the glittering chain. Violet gazed at it a moment, 
and then her head dropped on her breast, and she fell 
backward on the grass. Jennie screamed. Richard 
lifted her up in his arms, while Mary ran for some 
water. But Violet in a moment opened her eyes, 
and hiding her face in her hands,- wept. Then 
recovering herself she said : 

“ Oh, dear me, it is too good to be true.” 

Then taking the diamonds in her hand, she again 
burst into tears, and for some moments could not 
control her emotions. Even Jennie was subdued; 
then she said, as she looked at the jewels, amazed 
at their wonderful beauty : 

“ Why, I never saw such splendid things before, 
they are truly wonderful. And to think that all 
these years Richard should have them and nobody 
ever knew it, and then, that he should meet the 
owner of them here in our yard, and restore them. 

Why it is as strange as a fiction.” 

P 


226 


BRAVE HEARTS WIN. 


Violet arose, and said : 

“Please excuse me awhile,” and went to her 
room, there to freely indulge her feelings. 

She thought — oh what a day this was, a joy to 
Richard, a joy to herself. Strangely the currents 
of their lives had blended! What would be the 
end of it ! Ah, these diamonds, precious souvenirs 
of their past prosperity. All their jewels had been 
sold to pay their debts. These would have been 
sold too, if they had not lost them, but now, these, 
the most precious of all, were again in her posses- 
sion, and no one could rightly deprive her of 
them. 

“Oh, what will papa say? How he will rejoice, 
for he had regretted losing these, almost as much 
as losing his fortune.” 

When Violet went to her room, Richard and the 
girls remained on the lawn, and Richard told them 
over again the whole story, and showed them how it 
helped to remove him from the haunts of his child- 
hood. He said : 

“ When I heard that woman tell how she threat- 
ened that dear child’s life, I could hardly keep 
quiet, though, of course, my success entirely de- 
pended on it, for my life would have been worth 
nothing, if Mrs. Mullens had known it.” 

Jennie wanted to know how valuable it was. 


BRAVE HEARTS WIN. 


227 


Richard said that he did not know, but supposed it 
was worth several thousands of dollars. Mary said 
she thought it was worth a great deal more than 
their farm. 

In a short time Violet came back to them, and 
then putting her hand in Richard’s she thanked 
him for his devotion to her interests, and said she 
never in her life but once, had received so great a 
pleasure, and that was when she found that he was 
the missing son. 

Then he had to tell the story all over again, 
without disguise or reservation, and the girls felt 
persuaded, that in all the world, there was no one 
who could equal their own dear Richard. 


CHAPTER XXIII. 


THE HEIR RECEIVED. 


HE evening following the mutual revelations 



X by Violet and Richard, the family offered 
praise and prayer to God, and discussed the pre- 
parations to be made for bringing son and parent 
together. At length they concluded that the best 
plan would be for Violet and Richard to take 
the morning train to the city; for her to go at 
once to Mrs. Morris’ residence, and communicate 
in the best way she could the happy tidings, and 
Richard to come an hour later, so that Mrs. Morris 
might have time to recover herself from the shock 
of the announcement. 

When Violet and Richard arrived in the city, as 
the morning air was pleasant and invigorating, 
they concluded to Walk to the residence of Mr. 
Morris. When they came to the Montgomery 
mansion, they lingered a moment, and the tears 
came into Violet’s eyes as she thought of the 
disasters that had robbed her of such a beautiful 
home, but Richard was thinking of the change in 
the bootblack* who had formerly peeped through 


228 


BRAVE HEARTS WIN. 


229 


the bars to see the pleasures within, but could now 
find waiting for him pleasures even greater. 

When they came to the mansion of the Morris 
family, Richard passed up the street to spend the 
hour before he could be presented to his mother. 
Violet lightly went up the steps, and was soon 
ushered into the parlor; she had been there only 
a moment or two, when the door opened, and Mrs. 
Morris came into the room, and going up to Violet, 
put her arms about her, and kissing her, said : 

“ What good fortune brings my Violet to me this 
morning? I need not inquire after your health, 
for you are as bright and rosy as can be.” 

“Yes, I feel very well, even jubilant, this morn- 
ing,” replied Violet; “and I have walked all the 
way from the station. There, Mrs. Morris, is not 
that a proof that the country air has been a great 
benefit to me?” 

“ I should think it a very good proof, if that is 
all that caused it, but perhaps there was another 
cause,” replied Mrs. Morris with a smile. “I 
thought I saw a very handsome young man with 
you, who bade you good-morning at the door. 
Now is it not within the range of possibilities 
that such companionship was the chief cause of 
your taking so long a walk? Oh, you dear little 
innocent,” she continued laughingly, “ don’t blush so, 


230 


BRAVE HEARTS WIJST. 


I did not mean to pry into your secrets, but I just 
happened to be at my window and saw it all, and 
although I did not clearly see his face, I saw you, 
and your expression was such that I could not help 
concluding that he had made himself very inter- 
esting. Now, dear, don’t deny it, for your blushes 
will tell on you.” 

“Well, Mrs. Morris,” said Violet, “if I ever 
should be asked to marry that young man, will 
you promise to give him to me?” 

“ Oh yes, indeed I will,” she replied, “ if he is 
your choice ; and more than that, I will give you a 
reception. There, now, tell me all about him.” 

Violet waited a moment, then taking Mrs. 
Morris’ hand in her own, she stroked it, as she 
said: 

“Well, my dear second mother, you will scarcely 
think it very likely to come to pass when I tell you 
that two days ago I did not know of his existence. 
But he is very much of a gentleman, and well 
educated. He is a visitor at the house in the 
country, where I am at present boarding, and the 
family think he is the very jewel of the earth. 

“He only arrived day before yesterday, and I 
brought him to the city with me this morning, 
because I thought you would like to see him.” 

“Yes, indeed, I shall be glad to meet him, but 


BRAVE HEARTS WIN. 231 

why did you not bring him in with you?” asked 
Mrs. Morris. 

“ Because I wanted to tell you something about 
him first,” answered Violet, “ and he will call for 
me in one hour from the time I rang the bell. So 
you see I shall have to hurry myself, in order to 
tell you all I have to say. So in the first place 
let me tell you, he is a young man of the strictest 
integrity, for during several years in which he was 
struggling to earn the means to secure an educa- 
tion, he had in his possession some valuable jewels, 
which would have furnished him with thousands of 
dollars ; but he kept them, in order to return them 
to their owner ; and when he saw me yesterday, he 
recognized me as the owner, and gave them to me. 
I know you will be glad to hear, Mrs. Morris, that 
it was my diamond cross and chain.” 

“ Oh, Violet,” Mrs. Morris replied, “ is not that 
wonderful. What an amazing blessing that was; 
why I shall feel it a privilege to greet a young man 
with such principles of honor and right.” 

“But, Mrs. Morris, that is not all; he told me 
something of his life; and I found that he was once 
a poor boy ; yes, he was even a bootblack in this 
city, and he told me of some of the people he 
knew ; and don’t you think, he had actually known 
the boy called Dicky Mullens. Now was I not 


232 


BRAVE HEARTS WIN. 


doing right in telling him of your lost boy, and 
asking him to come with me and tell you about 
him?” 

Mrs. Morris burst into tears, and after quietly 
weeping for a little while, said: 

“ Dear Violet, I am glad you are so thoughtful of 
what interests me; and I shall be delighted to see 
him, and talk with him about my son ; but I shall 
probably be unable to repress my emotions, for I 
cannot but weep whenever my thoughts are allowed 
to linger on my dear boy.” 

“ Mamma Morris,” said Violet, as she looked into 
the dear lady’s face, “do you think your boy is in 
heaven, or that some time you will see him on the 
earth ? ” 

In answer to this question, Mrs. Morris said : 

“ My dear, come with me.” 

They went up the broad stairway to the second 
story, and there, in the front of the house was a 
room handsomely furnished, and everything about 
the room manifested exquisite taste. As Violet 
stood, astonished at its splendor, Mrs. Morris said : 

“This will answer your question. This is my 
boy’s room; it is waiting for him; it is ready for 
him at any moment he may come ; and I believe 
my eyes shall yet behold him, and that he will 
occupy this room.” 


































































Brave Hearts Win 


Page 233 





















































* 





BRAVE HEARTS WIN . 


233 


As the mother said this, she sat down, and the 
tears again came to her eyes, Violet said to her : 

“ I am truly glad, Mrs. Morris, to see the strength 
of your faith ; yet I must say it is wonderful, but 
it will some day be rewarded, for this young man 
says your son is living, and he has his photograph, 
taken this spring.” 

“ Oh, dear me ! ” said Mrs. Morris, as she sprang 
from her chair and seized hold of Violet’s hand, 
“Is it so? Oh! can it be! shall I indeed see him 
again? Oh, Violet, where can he be? ” 

“ Here is his picture,” Violet replied, “ this young 
man permitted me to bring it to you, for he knew 
you would like to see it at once.” 

Mrs. Morris took the photograph, and gazed at it, 
then she said: 

“Yes, it is my boy, my darling boy, he looks 
just the same as when I lost him, only older, but 
the same brow and eyes and mouth.” Then she 
kissed the picture again and again, and wept as she 
said, “ Oh, my boy is alive ! My boy will come 
to me!” 

Violet wept with her; but the hour was almost 
up. She went to the window a moment, and saw 
Richard approaching. She returned to the side of 
Mrs. Morris, and stooping over her, kissed her as 
she said: 


234 


BRAVE HEARTS WIN. 


“My dear, dear friend, hav’n’t you guessed it yet? 
My gentleman friend is just now ringing the bell, 
and Mrs. Morris, he is your son, your long lost 
Richie.” 

For a moment Mrs. Morris sat still, and then 
rushed down the stairs to be wrapt in the embrace 
of her son. She did not for a moment doubt it. 
No one could doubt it. They looked alike, and at 
a glance strangers would recognize them as mother 
and son. 

For some time Mrs. Morris would not release 
her hold on her boy; but after a while becoming 
calmer, she sent one of the servants down to the 
store to ask her husband to come at once home; 
but bade him to be sure and not breathe a word 
as to the cause of her request. Mr. Morris came at 
once, though wondering what could be the reason 
of such a sudden summons. When the time for his 
arrival drew near, Mrs. Morris went up stairs to 
arrange her toilet, and left Violet and Richard in 
the parlor. Violet sat down at the piano and sang 
and played for Richard. While she was singing, 
the door opened, and Mr. Morris came in. As he 
saw Violet, he smiled and came to her to welcome 
her. She rose from the piano-stool, and reaching 
out both hands, greeted him, then turning toward 
Richard, she said : 


BRAVE HEARTS WIN . 


235 


“Mr. Morris, do you see this young man? Don’t 
you recognize him ? He is your long lost son.” 

Mr. Morris gazed at Richard a moment, and then 
father and son were clasped in each others arms. 
To Mr. Morris, the surprise was greater than that 
of his wife, for he had long ago given him np as 
dead, and his sudden coming was like a resurrection. 
A few moments after, when he went up stairs and 
met his wife, it was the most joyful meeting they 
had had for years. And as she sat by his side and 
talked about the goodness of God, the tears rolled 
down his cheeks, and he thought that never again 
could he doubt that God was the hearer of prayer, 
and that he would answer it in his own good time. 

Mrs. Morris was delighted with the appearance 
of her son. He seemed no way to have been 
affected by the evil influences of his early surround- 
ings. He said that from his earliest recollection, he 
felt something within his soul, that constantly strug- 
gled against the temptations that beset him, and 
made him yearn for a life of purity and peace. 

“Ah,” replied his mother, “my darling boy, it 
was the Spirit of the living God. Your mother all 
this time was praying for you, and trusting in the 
goodness and faithfulness of God to lead you, and 
day by day God would answer these prayers for 
your welfare ; and through all these years, without 


236 


BRAVE HEARTS WIJV. 


anything to encourage me but the one little incident 
at the time you left the city, I have been trusting 
the promises of God, and though I had no idea as 
to how it might be brought about, I felt sure that 
you would yet come to me, and in God’s mercy we 
should rejoice together. 

“And probably it has been good for your soul’s 
training too, that you have had to struggle for an 
existence as you have. Many persons who have 
plenty of money spoil their children, and I am not 
sure but I might have foolishly tried to spoil you ; 
but God took you out of my hand, and he passed 
you through the fires of affliction, so that you might 
be built up in manhood, and be an honor to his 
name.” 

“How much we can rejoice in that,” said Mr. 
Morris, “ God’s faithfulness manifested unto us day 
by day, even in the darkest hours. We have, also, 
great reason to be thankful that he was led to 
Broad Street on Violet’s birthday ; and that for so 
many years he bore with him the memory of the 
little girl that appeared before him as his angel. 
“Now, Violet,” he added, playfully, dropping the 
earnestness of his tone, “ you must not change your 
color so. If he, poor boy, was foolish enough to 
think you were an angel, he was young then, and 
inexperienced, and probably by this time he may be 


BRAVE HEARTS WIN. 237 

ready to give up that idea and conclude that you 
are, after all, very much like the rest of us mortals.” 

Here Mrs. Morris put her hand over his mouth, 
as she said: 

“ Now, husband, you shall not tease our darling 
Violet, at least until you pay her what you owe her. 
Let me see, did you not offer as a reward, that the 
one who returned our boy, should receive a hundred 
dollars for every year of his life? So you owe 
Violet two thousand dollars.” 

“So I do,” he replied; and before Violet could 
say a word he went from the room, and in a few 
moments returned with his check for the amount. 
“ There, my dear,” he said to Violet, “ that is your 
right, and it affords me the greatest pleasure to 
give it to you.” 

“ Oh no,” said Violet, “ I cannot take it, indeed 
I cannot.” 

“ Yes, my dear child,” said Mr. Morris, “ you can, 
and you will, for I shall not receive it back. I 
would have given it to a stranger for returning our 
boy, and how much more gladly I give it to you, 
whom we all so dearly love.” 

“Well, then,” she answered, “if I must take it, 
half of it shall go to Mary Gordon, since if it had 
not been for her, I should not have known of him.” 

“ No, you will not do that,” replied Mr. Morris, 


238 


BE AYE HEARTS WIN. 


“ I will settle with the Gordons, and here I give 
you two other checks of equal amounts, one thou- 
sand dollars to each of the girls, Mary and Jennie 
Gordon. So now that I have paid my debts, I 
suppose I may tease you again; may I not, wife?” 

“I think,” replied Mrs. Morris, “that Violet 
would rather go to her room now, and prepare 
for dinner; and, Richard darling, I will show 
you to your room, which for these many years 
has been ready for you.” 


CHAPTER XXIV. 

PARTNERSHIP. 

W HEN Violet suggested to Richard, that she 
would have to return to her country friends, 
or they would be anxious about her, he said that he 
would return with her, and complete his visit. But 
as Mrs. Morris did not wish to be separated from 
her son so soon, she concluded to go with them, and 
see the family that had been so kind to him in his 
poverty. 

Mrs. Morris remained at The Home several days, 
and became very fond of the girls, and when the 
time came for her to return to the city, she insisted 
on taking Jennie with her to spend a few days, and 
said that when any of them came to the city, she 
hoped they would make her house their home. 

The girls were wonderfully delighted with the 
great fortune that had come to them. To them, it 
was an immense sum of money. They wished their 
papa to use it for them, and so at their request he 
paid off the mortgage on the farm, and in the place 
of it gave notes to his daughters. And now that 

the hand of strangers was lifted . from his home, he 

239 


240 


BRAVE HEARTS WIN. 


felt greatly relieved. It was now their home, not 
his own merely, but also his children’s, and this tie 
he hoped would bind them all even more closely to 
the place, and cause them to take an increased 
interest in its improvement. 

As the warmer weather came on, preparations 
were made by the Morris family to leave the city, 
and spend the summer at the seashore. Mrs. Morris 
insisted on Violet accompanying them as her guest, 
and it was with pleasure that she accepted the invi- 
tation. The parents w r ere beginning to observe that 
Richard loved to linger near Violet, and they were 
not at all grieved to see the direction of his tastes. 
They loved her already as a daughter, and her part 
in the restoration of their long-lost son, had placed 
them under perpetual obligation to her. 

As they were to be absent from the city, Mrs. 
Morris selected as her housekeeper, to take charge 
of the mansion, her Bible Reader ; for she knew 
that it would be a great relief to her, to be able to 
spend the hot season in a purer and cleaner atmos- 
phere than that to which she had been so long 
accustomed. She had told Richard of the Bible 
Reader, but had withheld her name, intending to 
give him a surprise. When they had made all 
their preparations and were ready to start on the 
following day for Cape May, Mrs. Morris said : 


BRAVE HEARTS WIN . 


241 


“Richard, I want you to see my Bible Reader, 
now my housekeeper; she is a noble woman, and 
has been the means of leading many to Christ ; she 
is a really sincere and devoted Christian woman.” 

Richard followed his mother out into the sitting- 
room, and there the woman stood. As he looked 
into her face, he thought he knew her, but no, he 
could not exactly remember her. Then she said : 

“Dicky, don’t you know me? I am Mrs. Mullens, 
your old muzzy Mullens.” 

The tears stood in her eyes as she spoke and her 
voice trembled with the expression of her deep 
yearning ; but Richard grasped her hand, and gave 
her — what she hoped he would, but feared he might 
not — a kiss. Then he sat down by her side, and 
asked her to tell him the whole story of her rescue 
from the bondage of sin. She had changed, very 
greatly changed; she had lost the coarse fierce 
expression that had once characterized her, and her 
manner had become gentle and winning. Her eye 
was clear, her voice gentle, her manner kind, and 
day by day she was showing forth the blessedness 
of a consecrated life. She often wept over the past ; 
she did all she could to reclaim the wanderers; she 
felt the presence of the Spirit of God; and she 
carried that comfort with her everywhere. Fear- 
less, she spoke to all who came within her sphere 
Q 


242 


BRAVE HEARTS WIN. 


of activity, and she knew that God had blessed her 
and was blessing her in the fruits granted to her 
labors. She was touched, when Richard did not 
recognize her, but she was pleased when he ex- 
plained that it was because of the improvement in 
her appearance, in face, and in expression. As a 
child of God, her looks were far different from 
those of the tigress of a few years before. 

The next day, they started for Cape May, and 
for the first time in his life, Richard gazed out upon 
the ocean, and listened to its sullen roar. With 
Violet by his side, he would sit for hours on the 
sand, looking over the ever-moving waters. There 
was for him a constant charm in the continual 
quivering of the waves, never silent, never weak. 
Now advancing, now retreating, but ever breaking 
on the great, long shore that stretched far away, 
until lost in the distance. 

Some days Violet would bring her knitting, and 
while she was busy with her work, Richard would 
read to her some interesting book. They also 
would talk of the lessons learned in the past, and 
retrace the strange history since their first meeting 
in days of childhood. Thus they became strongly 
attached to each other, in ties that could only be 
severed by death. 

At length, the time was approaching when Violet 


BRAVE HEARTS WIN. 243 

would have to return to the city, to meet her father, 
who was on his way home. The season for business 
in the South was passing away, and he had fully 
accomplished the purpose for which he had been 
sent out. 

The day preceding Violet’s departure from the 
seaside, in company with Richard, she took a longer 
walk than usual. They had left knitting and book 
at home, they wanted to be alone with the waves, 
and drink in the inspiration of the murmuring 
deep. They walked slowly on until tired, and then 
sat down on the sand. And now Richard spoke 
of the separation so soon to come, of the pain it 
would give him, of the sweet joy he found in her 
presence ; and said, that unless he could have the 
assurance of her presence through life, he could 
almost wish that he had never met her again, or 
received all the blessings that she had brought to 
him. It is not necessary to repeat all the words in 
which he expressed the feelings of his heart and 
pressed his suit. She listened to his eager words, 
and when urged for answer, could only murmur, 
“ it seems so soon.” 

“What, darling,” he said, “call this soon? Why, 
for eight years I have been yearning for you, and 
climbing up the ladder to reach your level ; all the 
time I was thinking of you by day and by night, 


244 


BRAVE HEARTS WIN. 


little thinking that at last I was to receive from 
your hand the blessings which you have brought to 
me.” Then taking her hand which she did not 
withhold, he continued: “you have been the means 
of bringing the poor, lost boy back to his mother, 
whom you have called your second mother ? Dear 
Violet, may I not tell mother that you will be 
indeed her daughter?” And he gazed into her eyes 
to read their answer. 

Violet looked down upon the sand for a moment, 
then fixing her tear-dimmed eyes on his own, she 
smiled, and said in a low, sweet voice: 

“Dear Richard, you may tell her I will be her 
daughter as long as life lasts.” 

Then they talked it all over, for they had many 
things to say, and several long hours passed before 
they returned to the cottage. When they reached 
it, Richard said: 

“Mother, I am going to the city to-morrow with 
Violet, for she is mine now, to guard and defend. 
Will you receive her as your daughter?” 

It was only a second, and her motherly arms 
were about the dear girl, and she whispered lovingly 
to her: 

“ My dear, dear, precious child.” 


Mr. Montgomery came at the time he had ap- 


BRAVE HEARTS WIN. 


245 


pointed, and Violet was once more folded in his 
arms. When he met Richard, and learned that he 
was his daughter’s choice, he blessed them both, 
and called them his dear children ; but pretending 
to be neglected he said: 

“ But when you are settled, what will your papa 
do ? where will he find a home ? ” 

“ W e hope,” said Richard, “ that you will always 
live with. us, and let Violet make you a comfortable 
and happy home.” 

“Ah, my dear boy,” said Mr. Montgomery, “ your 
proposition is a very kind one. But when you come 
to be as old as I am, you will probably wish to have 
a home of your own. While I was away, I began 
to think that some of these days my daughter 
would give her heart into the keeping of some one 
else than her papa; and that he would be dread- 
fully lonely when that time should come. So that 
wise papa was led to wish for some one who might 
adorn his home. He met a lady, whom he had 
known some years ago, but who had lost none of 
her charms in the flight of the years, and finding 
her a widow, he concluded to offer her the best gift 
in his power and that was his own precious self. 
And so, my darling daughter, as you propose to 
give me a son, will you allow me to give you a 
mother?” 


246 


BE AYE HEARTS WIN. 


At first Violet was amazed, but when he showed 
her the picture of the lady of his choice, and she 
saw the sweet and attractive face, she very gladly 
gave her consent, and thus all parties w T ere satisfied. 

Violet, how T ever, wondered how papa would be 
able to support in becoming style, a high-born 
Southern lady, upon his slender income. But he 
soon informed her that since she bade him fare- 
well in their little room in West Philadelphia, 
great changes had taken place in financial circles. 
At the time of his failure, he was in possession of 
a large amount of railroad stock, which was so 
much depreciated that is was not considered of any 
value as assets. These he had carefully laid away, 
not with any great hope that they would ever be 
worth much, but close business habits had taught 
him to be careful of all papers — of checks, notes, 
bills, receipts, certificates of stock. Thus he had 
destroyed nothing. 

While he was in the South, there was a great 
turn in general business as well as in the stock 
market. The banker who had caused his ruin, 
had been able to retrieve his disaster, and was now 
able to pay his indebtedness dollar for dollar. The 
railroad stock rapidly advanced until at length he 
found himself possessed of a fortune as great as 
that which he had before his suspension. It was 


BRAVE HEARTS WIN. 


247 


while this advance was going forward, that he had 
wooed, and won the heart of the Southern lady. 
As a poor clerk perhaps he would never have 
attempted it, but with his retrieved fortune, he did 
not hesitate. 

Mr. Morris had not heard of the payment from 
his banker, and did not know that he owned this 
stock ; even Violet had never heard of it ; so that 
the news came to all of them as a great and glad 
surprise. 

Mr. Montgomery at once gave up his position as 
clerk, and began to negotiate for his old place of 
business. He did not find any trouble in securing 
it, for the person who had purchased it was willing 
to sell at a fair price. Thus, when the fall trade 
opened, his old establishment was opce more ready 
for business, again the name drew to its counters a 
large patronage. 

With this return of prosperity, Mr. Montgomery 
seemed to receive new life, and with a zeal he had 
never before possessed, he devoted himself to the 
interests of his business. And ouce more the name 
of Montgomery was honored in business circles. 

And now the day was approaching when Mr. 
Montgomery was to find a consummation of his 
desires. Several months had passed since his 
arrival from the South, and he is about to return 


248 


BRAVE HEARTS WIN. 


there to be married. And then, after a brief trip 
to Europe, he intends to come back and settle 
down in his own native city. In the meantime 
he had purchased his future residence, and was 
handsomely equipping it, but he would not inform 
any of his friends of its location. To Violet he 
remarked : 

“ When I return with my bride, and we have 
our reception, you will be more than satisfied.” 

Violet did not go South with him. Richard said 
that he could not spare her, for as he was just on 
the eve of finishing his studies, and entering into 
business, he would constantly require her counsel 
and assistance. Thus she sent her father away 
alone, and remained with her friends, she also 
preparing for another wedding that ‘was soon to 
take place. 


CHAPTER XXV. 

ESTABLISHED. 

A T length the day came when Richard received 
his diploma as a graduate, and he was ready 
to step into the bustling arena of business. 

It was arranged that his wedding should follow 
the graduation within a few days, so that he and 
Violet might be able to meet Mr. Montgomery and 
his bride in the southern part of France, where 
they were still loitering. They were quietly married 
at the Morris mansion, and at once left on the 
steamer for the Old World. 

On arriving there they first took a rapid tour 
through England and Scotland, to see the places of 
which Hugh Miller wrote, and those that Scott’s 
works had made familiar. Then they passed over 
to the Continent. 

After spending two weeks in Germany, and 
Northern France, they went to Marseilles, where 
they had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Montgomery 
and his bride. Together they visited Florence, 
Venice, and other celebrated places, and then went 

to Rome. Here they spent several weeks, happy, 

249 


250 


BRAVE HEARTS WIN. 


tiresome weeks ; so much to see, so much to learn ; 
full of enthusiasm in the morning, tired and satiated 
in the evening. At length they started for Eng- 
land, and in a few more days reached home. 

Mrs. Morris had not forgotten her promise to 
Violet, and shortly after their arrival she gave them 
a brilliant reception. Her parlors were filled with 
grace and beauty. There were smiles, and gifts, 
and pleasant words in abundance, and the whole 
house seemed vocal with the happiness of the 
inmates and the guests. 

At one time Richard missed his darling from the 
parlor, and going up stairs found her sitting in 
her room, with her photograph album lying open 
before her. As he came and noticed the tears in 
her eyes, he put his arm about her, and said: 

“What makes my darling sad, at this festive 
time?” 

“Dear Richard,” she answered, “see, here are our 
photographs. You were a poor schoolboy when they 
were taken, I was only a clerk’s daughter, and try- 
ing to earn a little spending money by teaching. 
Then these people, who say to-night they love us so 
very much, would not have recognized us. 

“Me, they openly cut. You, they did not know. 
And I was just thinking of the selfishness of 
society, that casts its favors, not where they are 


BRAVE HEARTS WIN. 


251 


specially needed, or will do the most of real good, 
but where by the accident of birth, or of circum- 
stances, wealth has been bestowed. And I have 
determined that with God’s help, I will never be 
influenced in my friendships by the amount of 
money people may have, but rather by the quality 
of heart and mind which I see them display.” 

“Yes, my darling,” Richard murmured, “we 
have been so fortunate as to learn this great lesson ; 
let us by our example teach it to those who have 
never been blest by seeing the glory and virtue of 
a life of struggling against poverty and want. 

“But, dear, they are calling for us, to sing for 
them. Let us go down and sing ‘ Home, Sweet 
Home/ and then ‘Rescue the Perishing.’ Of 
course, some will think it is dreadfully religious, 
but no matter, we may as well let them know 
from the beginning that we are the followers of 
Christ in reality as well as in profession.” 

When they returned to the parlor, and sang 
these songs, the wild feeling that had gradually 
been developing, was quelled, and those who 
enjoyed the music of the heart, the power of 
touching words, could not refrain from expressing 
their admiration and appreciation of the beautiful 
melodies, and their delight in the tenderness and 
pathos of the rendition. At length the doors 


252 


BRAVE HEARTS WIN. 


were thrown open, and they were all invited into 
the spacious dining-halls. 

Here an elegant repast was provided, and the 
guests partook with great relish. But one feature 
of the occasion surprised many, and a few forgot 
their manners so much as to be offended by it. 
They had tea, coffee, lemonade, and beverages of 
that kind, but no wine. 

One of the ladies, who, though only one of the 
guests, by nature was officious, seeing this usual 
part of a banquet absent, went to Mrs. Morris and 
said: 

“ Really, my dear Mrs. Morris, I do not like to 
speak of it, and I am sure you have not noticed it, 
but some of us think your servants have forgotten 
a part of the feast, the tables, lovely as they are, 
are not complete.” 

“ Indeed,” replied Mrs. Morris, “ that is too bad, 
but if my servants have neglected to put on the 
table anything that I have ordered, it shall be 
promptly attended to. Please be so kind, my dear 
madam, to inform me what it is, for as you say, I 
have not noticed it.” 

The guest, pleased with the graciousness of Mrs. 
Morris, replied: 

“Why, do you not see, they have forgotten to 
give the guests wine ? ” 


BRAVE HEARTS WIH. 


253 


Mrs. Morris promptly, though quietly replied: 

“ Oh, is that all ? My friend, that is not the fault 
of the servants ; that is the will of the mistress of 
the house. Don’t you know that the Scripture 
says — ‘Who hath woe? Who hath sorrow? Who 
hath contention? Who hath babbling? Who hath 
wounds without cause? Who hath redness of 
eyes? They that tarry long at the wine.’ And it 
also says, ‘Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging, 
and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise.’ 
How, then, can I, a professed servant of the Son 
of God, place before my guests, that which will 
probably cause the ruin of some of them, and the 
hurt of many? No, madam, it was not the servants’ 
neglect, it was according to my direct command, 
and you may say to anyone that asks you, that all 
w r ine and every intoxicating drink is banished from 
the Morris Mansion.” 

“Well, I am sorry for it,” replied the guest, a 
little crestfallen at this severe denunciation of her 
favorite beverage, “for I am sure that all will 
notice it, and many will not like it at all.” 

“ I shall be sorry for that,” said Mrs. Morris. 
“ I am sure I want everybody to think well of me, 
but I could not consent to win human approval by 
a sacrifice of my principles.” 

The festive occasion closed without the woe, and 


254 


BRAVE HEARTS WIN. 


babbling, and folly that wine so frequently causes. 
And the following day, the guests were not sufferers 
because of an aristocratic debauch. 

In a few days after this, there was another recep- 
tion, and this was given in the residence of the 
wealthy merchant, Mr. Montgomery. Richard and 
Violet had been out of town, the few days preced- 
ing, and were to return the evening of the reception. 
Hence they had no opportunity for seeing the 
handsome place previous to the general gathering. 
It was reported that the residence was fitted up 
with unusual elegance, and that all the old clerks 
of the Montgomery house were to be present, to 
participate in the festivities of the occasion. 

When Richard and Violet arrived at the station, 
they were at once taken to the Morris Mansion, 
there to prepare for the reception. Then in a closed 
carriage, in company with Mr. and Mrs. Morris 
they drove to the place. When they arrived, the 
servant opened the carriage door, and they alighted. 
The lamps were shining very brightly, and Violet 
glanced about her, and saw that the carriage had 
driven to the side of the house, the regular carriage 
landing. She looked at the house a moment, then 
glanced toward the front lawn. At once she recog- 
nized the place, and clapping her hands with de- 
light, she said : 


BRAVE HEARTS WIN. 


255 


“Oh, Richard, isn’t this splendid. No wonder 
papa wanted to surprise us. Why he has repur- 
chased our old home, and is going to live in it. Oh, 
Richard, what could be nicer than this?” 

Then running through the hall, she saw her 
father at the parlor door, and rushing into his arms 
said : 

“Oh, you teasing papa, to think you could do all 
this, and not let me know; but I shall have to 
punish you by requiring you to furnish my old 
room for me, and keep it subject to my order all the 
time, and I shall come here part of the time to live 
at your expense ; and if you complain I shall have 
to take possession of the whole house, and then 
what will become of your happiness.” 

Mr. Montgomery quickly said : “ I think I shall 
have to complain.” 

“No, no,” said Mr. Morris, “I am the one to 
complain, if she is going to bless the complainer 
with her perpetual presence.” 

“Now, Papa Morris, don’t be selfish,” answered 
Violet, “ for haven’t you admitted Richard as your 
partner in business, and he is with you all the time, 
surely you will spare us a little for Papa Mont- 
gomery?” 

“Ah, well,” he replied, “I suppose I shall have 


256 


BRAVE HEARTS WIN. 


to, but what say you, junior member of the firm 
of Morris & Son?” 

“What do I say?” replied Richard, with a smile 
of delight at Violet, “ why just this, that I have 
followed your example and propose to stick to the 
principles of our establishment ; the wife is the head 
of the household department, and there I can have 
nothing to say. So I suppose we shall all have to 
yield to the little bootblack’s angel.” 


THE END. 


























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